Women who report greater use of cleansing products may be at higher risk of breast cancer than those who use them sparingly.
Researchers found that women who reported using more air fresheners and products for mould (a fungal infection on the skin) and mildew (a thin, usually black, sometimes white, growth produced on facial skin) had a higher incidence of breast cancer.
Julia Brody, from the Silent Spring Institute, US, worked with a team to carry out phone interviews with 787 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 721 comparison women, reports the journal Environmental Health.
She said, “Women who reported the highest combined cleaning product use had a doubled risk of breast cancer compared to those with the lowest reported use.”
The researchers questioned women on product use, beliefs about breast cancer causes, and established and suspected risk factors, according to a Silent Spring Institute statement.
They found that cleaning products, air fresheners and insect repellents were associated with breast cancer, but little association was observed with overall pesticide use.
