Cancer has overtaken cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death in Spain this year, and will probably be the pathology that will dominate in this regard for many years to come. It is also a complex condition, influenced by many processes that take place both in our body and in our interaction with others. the environment that surrounds us.
In fact, scientists continue to identify elements around us that could increase the chances of developing cancerand these suspicions often reach the mainstream press, generating concern. However, the evidence in this regard is often not so conclusive, and it is worth stopping to analyze each case to understand what we really know about it and to what extent we should be cautious.
As cancer prevention professor Timothy Rebbeck of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute affiliated with Harvard University explains in an interview with the information portal Harvard Health Publishing of the North American institution, these are some common use objects that have raised concerns and the evidence behind each of them.
Non-stick cookware
Many pots and pans come coated with a layer of a chemical called polytetrafluoroethylene (and also known as teflon or ptfe) which gives them non-stick properties. This substance belongs to a group of compounds called perfluoroalkyls or polyfluoroalkyls (PFAS), which are currently detectable in the blood of most people around the world in low concentrations.
Some studies have linked the PFAS exposure with certain cancers based on examinations of the incidence rate of certain tumors in people who live near or work in chemical plants that manufacture or use these substances. This connection, in any case, is not proven and has not even been found consistently in all research of this kind.
In this regard, Rebbeck also adds that precisely because of their non-stick quality, in their solid form these products They are not very reactive and do not cause genetic damage. (cancer trigger), so the evidence that non-stick cookware can increase cancer risk is scant. However, he points out, it is true that some Teflon-related compounds have been linked to cancer in other ways.
Mattresses
Mattress manufacturers often add to their products flame retardants to prevent fires or slow their spread if they are used. Some of these retardants, in turn, contain chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can become airborne.
There is a certain amount of research that points to these flame retardants can interfere with hormonal levels and are associated with cancer. The effects are likely to be small, says Rebbeck, and the evidence is inconclusive because of the lack of reliable measures of individual or population exposure to these chemicals.
Household cleaning products
Some household cleaners, detergents and dishwashing detergents contain a series of substances known as endocrine disruptorswhich interfere with hormones and the biological and reproductive processes they regulate.
In this direction, studies in recent years have suggested that the use of this kind of cleaning products would expose us to potentially harmful VOCssuch as benzene or formaldehyde, which are related to the risk of cancer; and that exposure to certain endocrine disruptors could contribute to the risk of developing breast, ovarian, skin and uterine tumors.
Again, the means we have to measure people’s exposure to these substances are limited, so we cannot correctly estimate the risk involvedHowever, the expert believes that if they were significant we would have already found evidence before, as happened with tobacco smoke.
Personal care products
Finally, some cosmetics, skin care products, hair dyes, deodorants and other hygiene and personal care products contain parabens, formaldehyde, carbon-derived dyes and more.
The literature on the long-term health effects of most cosmetics is scarceso in any case the evidence we have is small, although there are some notable exceptions.
For example, in recent years several state agencies have come reducing the permitted levels of some of these chemicals in hair care products or have banned the use of others (such as formaldehyde in the United States). Even a 2023 study by the National Institutes of Health of 33,000 women found that those who had used hair straighteners more than four times in the previous year were twice as likely to develop uterine cancer (the most common tumor affecting the female reproductive system) than those who did not use them.
Fortunately, based on these data, exposure to manifestly harmful substances has been reduced, so the use of these products It is safer than it was a few years ago.
The keys to preventing the risk of cancer
If the evidence on any of these objects (or others) regarding cancer risk concerns us, There are alternatives that we can opt for and that could have a certain preventive effect, if it is proven that they actually contribute to the probability of developing tumors.
However, based on what we know so far, the Main precautions The steps we can take to truly prevent the risk of suffering from this deadly disease include avoiding tobacco, avoiding alcohol, exercising and maintaining a proper diet.
References
Maureen Salamon. Cancer concerns from everyday products. Harvard Health Publishing (2024). Consulted online at on August 21, 2024.
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