UNITED STATES: According to a sizable study released on Monday, people who routinely use hair-straightening products may have a markedly increased chance of acquiring uterine cancer.
“We estimated that 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70, but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05%,” stated study leader Alexandra White of the US National Institute of Environmental Health Safety.
She added, “However, it is important to put this information into context. Uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), uterine cancer continues to be the most prevalent gynecologic cancer in the United States, with rates growing, especially among black women.
33,947 women of various races, ranging in age from 35 to 74, were followed by researchers for an average of roughly 11 years. 378 women were diagnosed with uterine cancer during that time.
Women who had used hair straightening products more than four times in the previous year had odds of having uterine cancer that were more than two and a half times greater after researchers took into consideration the other risk variables of the individuals.
Less frequent straightener use over the previous year was also linked to an increased risk of uterine cancer, but this association was not statistically significant, suggesting that it could have simply been a coincidence.
Previous research has demonstrated the presence of so-called endocrine-disrupting substances in hair straighteners. Previous studies have linked the goods to increased risks of ovarian and breast cancer.
In the study, there was no difference in the relationship between uterine cancer risk and race.
“These findings are the first epidemiologic evidence of an association between use of straightening products and uterine cancer.”
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