FRANCE INTER
Allô c'est vous, c'est moi ! [Hello it's you, it's me!] - 03/05/2006 - 06:47
NICOLAS STOUFFLET
Isabelle Monrozier, hello "Allô c'est vous, c'est moi" and this morning we have two questions for the price of one on deodorants.
CALLER
Hello, Christine, my 13-year old daughter wants to use deodorant, where is the research on the possible link between breast cancer and the presence of paraben or aluminium in deodorants?
CALLER
My name's Elisabeth, I live in Versailles, a work colleague told me that a study was carried out several months ago in England exposing the risk of breast cancer linked with particles of aluminium, could you please clarify this.
ISABELLE MONROZIER
First of all a clarification - deodorants on the market do not all necessarily contain paraben. This is the case with deodorants from Unilever, for instance. Furthermore, it is antiperspirants which contain aluminium salts. So here is the answer from Dr Jospeh Gligorov, who is an oncologist at Tenon hospital and a specialist in breast cancer.
DR GLIGOROV
The answer is that there is no definite sign of risk, in fact I think that the European Commission ruled on this not very long ago, stating that there was no conclusive, scientific argument allowing us to say that there is a cause and effect link between paraben, aluminium and the existence of breast cancer. But this does not prevent the scientific community from continuing to carry out research and to try to give definitive backing to the view that there is no danger, or possibly to expose a problem which may exist, but which would only be based on the various elements which exist today which have not yet been proven.
ISABELLE MONROZIER
But Doctor, what link can be made and why between paraben, aluminium particles, breast cancer and deodorants?
DR GLIGOROV
In fact, the history of paraben goes back 20 years. Evidence has come to light that there are slightly more cases of breast cancer in industrialised countries and that these breast cancers have been located slightly closer to the level of the armpit in recent times compared to fifty or sixty years ago, which is the first problem. The epidemiological studies sixty or seventy years ago were not exactly the same type and of the same extent as those of today. Either way, based on this hypothesis, some people or in any case a certain number of scientists have tried to reflect on what the link is between the modification of the topology of breast cancer and the causality. A certain number of products were mentioned, in particular antiperspirants. It so happens that paraben is found in antiperspirants, however it can also be found in other cosmetic products. And in addition it has been shown in animal models and in vitro models that these molecules and aluminium may exist directly in the cancerous cells. It is not the fact that they are present which explains the cancer, once again. But, if they are present, the fact that a product is used in the immediate environment of the mammary gland means that it could potentially be integrated by the mammary gland. But once again it is not because it is integrated that explains the existence of a cancer.
ISABELLE MONROZIER
To sum up, what would you say to the two callers?
DR GLIGOROV
You can use antiperspirants and in the medical and scientific community today there is a general consensus that no cause and effect link between the use of these products and the existence of cancer has been proven. However, the small number of articles mentioning this link have led a certain number of teams to research whether there is a link and work is in progress today. And we will have definitive answers, but the initial work certainly does not allow us to say that there is a clear risk.
ISABELLE MONROZIER
Dr Gligorov, who reminds you that the first thing a woman should do is to consult a gynaecologist. END.