Research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that used a variety of methods to address potential bias or misclassification among women reporting the use of genital talc still found a “significant increase” in the data that supports “the plausibility of a true association between genital powder use and ovarian cancer risk.”

The study reviewed responses from more than 50,000 women previously published as part of the “Sister Study” which examined the genetic predisposition to hormone-related cancers.

The newly-published research found:

• A persistent, positive association between genital talc use and ovarian cancer, with the highest risks observed in frequent and long-term users.
• No significant associations were found between genital talc use or douching and breast or uterine cancer.

“Despite challenges in assessing exposure history and biases inherent in retrospective data, our findings are robust, showing a consistent association between genital talc use and ovarian cancer,” said lead study author Katie M. O’Brien, Ph.D., researcher at the Epidemiology Branch of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “This study leverages detailed lifetime exposure histories, and the unique design of the Sister Study, to provide more reliable evidence that supports a potential association between long-term and frequent genital talc use and ovarian cancer.”

More information is available from the American Society of Clinical Oncology.