Every now and again, one of these scary emails warning that antiperspirants and deodorants cause breast cancer lands in my basket. Less frequently, another scary one advising women not to wear bras, unless they want to develop breast cancer, does the rounds. This is the land of 'if it nuh go so, it nearly go so' but science currently does not support these breast cancer claims.

Researchers at the US National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, have actually studied underarm antiperspirants (preparations that reduce underarm sweat) and deodorants (preparations that destroy or mask unpleasant odours) and they say that they are "not aware of any conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer".

The NCI also points out that, "the US Food and Drug Administration, which regulates food, cosmetics, medicines, and medical devices, also does not have any evidence or research data that ingredients in underarm antiperspirants or deodorants cause cancer". This counters the belief that these underarm products contain harmful substances (aluminium-based compounds and parabens) which are absorbed through the skin or through small cuts when women shave their underarms.

No increased risk

It's not totally surprising though that these email continue to make the rounds. Results from a 2002 study (based on interviews with 813 women with breast cancer and 793 with no history of breast cancer) published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute did not identify any increased risk for breast cancer among women who used underarm antiperspirants and deodorants or among women who shaved with a razor blade and used the underarm products or among women who used the underarm products within an hour of shaving with a razor blade.

However, another study published 2003 in the European Journal of Cancer reported that, "the age of breast cancer diagnosis was significantly earlier in women who used these products and shaved their underarms more frequently". The study examined information based on 437 breast cancer survivors. The NCI indicates that these study results suggest that the use of underarm products and breast cancer are related but do not "demonstrate a conclusive link between these underarm hygiene habits and breast cancer".

The NCI also refers to a more recent study, published in 2006 in Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal which examined antiperspirant use among 54 women with breast cancer and 50 women without breast cancer. This study found no association between the product and breast cancer.

No cause identified

However, even in the face of logical explanations, myths will prevail about a disease like breast cancer because it is frightening for women that science, after all these years, has not been able to clearly identify any cause. Breast cancer, like other cancers, the doctors say, occurs when breast cells begin to grow abnormally. These abnormal cells apparently divide more rapidly than the healthy ones and form a tumour that can spread in the breast, lymph nodes and in other parts of the body.

Risk factors, linked to women's lifestyle choices, genes and environment, have also been published but the sad fact is that many women who develop the disease have no risk factors.

Eulalee Thompson is health editor and a professional counsellor; email: eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com.