High concentration of underarm deodorant chemicals found in breast cancer tumors

• Preservative chemicals found in samples of breast tumours probably came from underarm deodorants, UK scientists have claimed.
• Their analysis of 20 breast tumours found high concentrations of para-hydroxybenzoic acids (parabens) in 18 samples.
• The preservatives are used in many cosmetics and some foods to increase their shelf-life.
• "From this research it is not possible to say whether parabens actually caused these tumours, but they may certainly be associated with the overall rise in breast cancer cases," says Philip Harvey, an editor of the Journal of Applied Toxicology, which published the research.
• "Given that breast cancer is the largest killer of women and a very high percentage of young women use underarm deodorants, I think we should be carrying out properly funded, further investigations into parabens and where they are found in the body," Harvey told New Scientist.
• She says that the ester-bearing form of parabens found in the tumours indicates it came from something applied to the skin, such as an underarm deodorant, cream or body spray.
• When parabens are eaten, they are metabolised and lose the ester group, making them less strongly estrogen-mimicking.
• "One would expect tumours to occur evenly, with 20 per cent arising in each of the five areas of the breast," Darbre told New Scientist.
• None of the deodorants on sale in two British high street shops contained any parabens, a survey by New Scientist confirmed.
• However, many other products including body lotions, face creams, cleansers and shampoos did.
• Previously published studies have shown that parabens are able to be absorbed through the skin and to bind to the body's estrogen-receptors, where they can encourage breast cancer cell growth.