For years an email has been circulating claiming that deodorant use is one of the leading causes of breast cancer. According to this information, deodorants and antiperspirants avoid toxins in the body to be eliminated in sweat in the underarm area. Causing these toxins to accumulate in the lymph glands under the arm, thus, causing breast cancer.

A good amount of the information found in the email is misleading.  First of all, even though sometimes and enlarged lymph gland is the first symptom, breast cancer starts in the breast cells.  Many women diagnosed with breast cancer have cancer cells in the lymph glands, but it is not a sign that deodorants are the cause. The breast cells more common to developing breast cancer are those lining the tubes or ducts inside the breast. What happens is that cancer cells break away from the tumor in the breast and travel through the lymphatic system to the lymph glands in the underarm area. Again, it does not mean that the cancer started in the lymph glands.

Also keep in mind that the lymphatic glands and system, and the sweat glands fulfill different functions for the human body. Some waste leaves the body through the sweat glands, but not all of it (the liver and kidneys also play a role in this function). The lymphatic system serves to drain out toxins from tissues and also help the body fight off infections.

Ever since that email, research has been published that analyzes information obtained in a study that compares rates of breast cancer  in women who use deodorants, antiperspirants and underarm shaving products with breast cancer rates in women who don’t use them.  The results were the same for the women who had breast cancer with women of similar ages and circumstances who had not.  It also investigated the possible chance of applying products within an hour after shaving. Of the 1,500 women included in the study there were no findings linking deodorant and antiperspirant use to an increased risk of developing breast cancer, whether products were used within an hour or shaving or not.

There is no compelling information linking deodorant and antiperspirant use to cancer.  It has been alleged that harmful substances such as aluminum and parabens can be absorbed through the skin and enter women’s bodies through small nicks and cuts caused by underarm shaving. There has not been a conclusive report rendered confirming that aluminum and paragons cause breast cancer. Many of the experiments were not conducted properly to be able to validate findings. But there is evidence available suggesting that these products do not cause cancer.

For years an email has been circulating claiming that deodorant use is one of the leading causes of breast cancer. According to this information, deodorants and antiperspirants avoid toxins in the body to be eliminated in sweat in the underarm area. Causing these toxins to accumulate in the lymph glands under the arm, thus, causing breast cancer.

A good amount of the information found in the email is misleading.  First of all, even though sometimes and enlarged lymph gland is the first symptom, breast cancer starts in the breast cells.  Many women diagnosed with breast cancer have cancer cells in the lymph glands, but it is not a sign that deodorants are the cause. The breast cells more common to developing breast cancer are those lining the tubes or ducts inside the breast. What happens is that cancer cells break away from the tumor in the breast and travel through the lymphatic system to the lymph glands in the underarm area. Again, it does not mean that the cancer started in the lymph glands.

Also keep in mind that the lymphatic glands and system, and the sweat glands fulfill different functions for the human body. Some waste leaves the body through the sweat glands, but not all of it (the liver and kidneys also play a role in this function). The lymphatic system serves to drain out toxins from tissues and also help the body fight off infections.

Ever since that email, research has been published that analyzes information obtained in a study that compares rates of breast cancer  in women who use deodorants, antiperspirants and underarm shaving products with breast cancer rates in women who don’t use them.  The results were the same for the women who had breast cancer with women of similar ages and circumstances who had not.  It also investigated the possible chance of applying products within an hour after shaving. Of the 1,500 women included in the study there were no findings linking deodorant and antiperspirant use to an increased risk of developing breast cancer, whether products were used within an hour or shaving or not.

There is no compelling information linking deodorant and antiperspirant use to cancer.  It has been alleged that harmful substances such as aluminum and parabens can be absorbed through the skin and enter women’s bodies through small nicks and cuts caused by underarm shaving. There has not been a conclusive report rendered confirming that aluminum and paragons cause breast cancer. Many of the experiments were not conducted properly to be able to validate findings. But there is evidence available suggesting that these products do not cause cancer.