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Household Cleaning Products May Play Role in Breast Cancer

Study of Massachusetts women finds high use of cleaning products doubles breast cancer risk

By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

July 20, 2010

Researchers conducted telephone interviews with 787 Masachusetts breast cancer patients aged 60 to 80 years old in Massachusetts, and compared them to 721 women who did not have breast cancer.

"Women who reported the highest combined cleaning product use had a doubled risk of breast cancer compared to those with the lowest reported use," said study leader Dr Julia Brody, of the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass. "Use of air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control were associated with increased risk. To our knowledge, this is the first published report on cleaning product use and risk of breast cancer."

Many pesticides, household cleaners and air fresheners contain ingredients known to trigger breast cancer in animals, said the researchers. Some also contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that could theoretically affect the growth of estrogen-sensitive breast cells.

Hormone-disruptors such as synthetic musks and phthalates were commonly used in air fresheners, said the scientists. Air fresheners may also contain chemicals called terpenes which can react with ozone in the air to form cancer triggers such as formaldehyde, benzene and styrene, they added.

"Although exposure levels may be low and EDCs are typically less potent than endogenous hormones, limited knowledge of product formulations, exposure levels and the biological activity and toxicity of chemical constituents alone and in combination make it difficult to assess risks associated with product use," the researchers wrote.

The scientists acknowledged that their results might be swayed by "recall bias" because they depended on answers to questions about activities in the women's past; they called for more extensive research into the question.

"Because exposure to chemicals from household cleaning products is a biologically plausible cause of breast cancer and avoidable, associations reported here should be further examined prospectively," the researchers concluded.

Industry objects

Not surprisingly, the makers of household cleaning products were unhappy with the study. The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) calls the study questionable and said it "overreaches in its conclusions."

"Simply put, this research is rife with innuendo and speculation about the safety of cleaning products and their ingredients," said Richard Sedlak, ACI's Senior Vice President of Technical and International Affairs. "This is all based on the most cursory look at the scientific literature and the recollection of breast cancer survivors as to the products they used 15 to 20 years ago."

"Unfortunately, this work sheds little light on the real causes of breast cancer," he said.

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