Do deodorants cause cancer? Or Do antiperspirants cause cancer?
After reviewing 366 research articles… Deodorants: probably not
Antiperspirants: perhaps
Aluminum the active ingredient in antiperspirants may increase the risk of cancer metastasis. Deodorants typically don’t have aluminum and may be a safer option if you just use an underarm product. Make sure - read you label on your underarm product To see if it has aluminum.
Aluminium – mainly in the form of aluminium chloride and aluminum chlorohydrate is the main component of the large majority of commercialized antiperspirants. Aluminum is absorbed through the skin. Significant amounts of aluminium are present in the human breast after daily use. (reviewed by Darbre, 2016)
Researchers found aluminum encourages the growth and metastasis of colon cancer cells in a laboratory test.
Researchers analyzing the data from 209 breast cancer cases and 209 healthy controls, revealed an association between self-reported under arm product use and breast cancer risk. The association was statistically significant for patients who reported using products more than once a day when they were under the age of 30. Importantly, this study also measured the aluminium content of a large subsample of breast cancer cases and controls, and found that self-reported underarm product use correlates with higher aluminium content in the breast.
Aluminum can cause genomic instability and inappropriate proliferation in human breast epithelial cells, and can increase migration and invasion of human breast cancer cells. Aluminum accumulates in breasts and increase oxidative damage and inflammation, both are precursors to causing breast cancer.
But research is not consistent. We did find one human population study that found use of antiperspirants and deodorants do not increase the risk of breast cancer.
Why use antiperspirants with aluminum if you have a personal or family history of cancer?
References Include
Jeong CH, Kwon HC, Cheng WN, Kim DH, Choi Y, Han SG. Aluminum exposure promotes the metastatic proclivity of human colorectal cancer cells through matrix metalloproteinases and the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Food Chem Toxicol. 2020 Jul;141:111402. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691520302908?via%3Dihub
Mandriota SJ. A Case-control Study Adds a New Piece to the Aluminium/Breast Cancer Puzzle. EBioMedicine. 2017 Aug;22:22-23.
Allam MF. Breast Cancer and Deodorants/Antiperspirants: a Systematic Review. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2016 Sep;24(3):245-247.
Darbre PD. Aluminium and the human breast. Morphologie. 2016 Jun;100(329):65-74. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S128601151600028X?via%3Dihub
Mannello F, Ligi D, Canale M. Aluminium, carbonyls and cytokines in human nipple aspirate fluids: Possible relationship between inflammation, oxidative stress and breast cancer microenvironment. J Inorg Biochem. 2013 Nov;128:250-6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016201341300158X?via%3Dihub
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