The alarm bells were rung over talc last week, thanks to new research showing an increase in risk of ovarian cancer among women who regularly use talcum powder.
The new study compared about 1,400 women who had ovarian cancer with 1,800 healthy women to see if using talc had any effect on their risk of cancer. It found that women who used talc regularly had 36% higher risk of ovarian cancer.
The study also reported that certain genes affected this link, including the GSTT1 gene which helps to process chemicals in the body. The study found that the link between talc and ovarian cancer was stronger in women who lacked a working copy of this gene.
Is this cause for concern? Let’s take a look at the rest of the evidence.
Posted by Ed Yong 
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Welcome to the
