USE OF HAIR-STRAIGHTENING PRODUCTS FREQUENTLY MAY RAISE UTERINE CANCER RISK, STUDY SAYS

Mon 24 October 2022:

A large study published on Monday suggests that frequent use of hair-straightening products may significantly increase the risk of developing uterine cancer.

The study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, incorporated data from almost 34,000 women in the United States over a period of around 11 years (10.9 to be exact). Participants were aged between 35 to 74 years.

It points to the fact that women who use hair straightening products are at significantly higher risk — almost three times— of Uterine cancer.

A Reuters report quotes the study’s lead Alexandra White of the US National Institute of Environmental Health Safety (NIEHS) as saying: “We estimated that 1.64 per cent of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70, but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05 per cent.”

She added that it is important to put this information into context given that “Uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer.”

Of the 33,947 women enrolled in the study, 378 developed Uterine cancer.

To reach their conclusion the researchers accounted for other risk factors, however, they found that chances of uterine cancer increased by 2.5 times for women who used chemical straightening products more than four times a year.

The study did not find any racial linkages, but due to the fact that black women are more frequent users of these products and tend to start using them at a younger age, the researchers stress the importance the findings could have for them.

Previous studies as per Reuters have shown that these products contain “endocrine disrupting” chemicals that have been previously associated with higher risks of breast and ovarian cancer.

However, as per the researchers, these findings are only “the first epidemiologic evidence of an association between use of straightening products and uterine cancer” and more research is required to identify the specific chemicals behind the risks.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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