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Ovarian Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in women in the United States, accounting for 3 percent of all cancers in American women. Of all cancers that affect the female reproductive system, ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rates.

This form of cancer affects the ovaries, a pair of female reproductive glands. Exactly how ovarian cancer develops is not completely understood, but a number of risk factors have been identified. One of these risk factors, exposure to asbestos, was recently confirmed in March 2009 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRAC). Other risk factors include age, personal and family cancer history, hormonal cycling, number of pregnancies, and environmental factors. Environmental factors aside from asbestos exposure include toxic solvents, dies, organic dusts, talc, and triazine herbicides.

Additionally, asbestos exposure has been proven to cause all forms of mesothelioma cancer (including the most common pleural mesothelioma), lung cancer and laryngeal cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, exposure to asbestos also increases a person’s risk of developing throat, esophagus, kidney and gallbladder cancer. Asbestos exposure has also been linked to gastrointestinal cancer and colorectal cancer.

The Link Between Ovarian Cancer and Asbestos Exposure

Since the 1970s scientific studies have been evaluating the link between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer.  Some of these studies have involved the use of talcum powder on the genital area (talc has a long history of asbestos contamination since the minerals can naturally occur together and develop under similar conditions).

For example, a study published in 1982 reported that women with ovarian cancer were three times more likely to use talcum powder (also widely known as baby powder) on the genital area. A 1999 study involving more than 1,000 women found the participants who used talc powder on the genitals had a 60 percent overall increased relative risk of developing ovarian cancer.

More recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer confirmed that sufficient evidence has been gathered to prove that asbestos exposure can cause ovarian cancer. In March 2009 the IARC announced, “Sufficient evidence is now available to show that asbestos also causes cancer of the larynx and of the ovary… Cohort studies of women who were heavily exposed to asbestos in the workplace consistently report increased risks of ovarian cancer, as in a study of women in the UK who manufactured gas masks during World War II. Studies suggest that asbestos can accumulate in the ovaries of women who are exposed to it.”

Although it may have taken decades’ worth of studies to prove the connection, it has been medically established that asbestos exposure can cause ovarian cancer. Additional research will continue to reveal the biological underpinnings of this causal relationship and will hopefully also help lead to a cure for this asbestos-related cancer.

Sources

1. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/ovarian
2. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ovarian-cancer/ds00293
3. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_talcum_powder_and_cancer.asp
4. http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_asb_polic_maj_int_agencies.php
5. Cramer, D., Liberman, R., Titus-Ernstoff, L., et al. (1999). "Genital talc exposure and risk of ovarian cancer". International Journal of Cancer: 351-356.