Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Sweeping 'Reassuring' Study Concludes There's No Strong Link Between Baby Powder And Ovarian Cancer
The Associated Press: Big Study Finds No Strong Sign Linking Baby Powder & Cancer
U.S. government-led research found no strong evidence linking baby powder with ovarian cancer in the largest analysis to look at the question. The findings were called “overall reassuring” in an editorial published Tuesday with the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The analysis involving 250,000 women isn't definitive but more conclusive research probably isn't feasible because a dwindling number of women use powder for personal hygiene, the editorial said. (Tanner, 1/7)
NPR: Study Finds Talcum Powder Not Likely A Risk For Ovarian Cancer
Researchers from NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute conducted the largest study to date of genital powder use and ovarian cancer. The study, published Tuesday in JAMA, used data from 252,745 women who answered questions about whether they used powder on their genitals. This was a pooled analysis of four large studies gathering data about the frequency and length of time women used the powder. (Neighmond, 1/7)
Bloomberg: Does Baby Powder From J&J Lead To Cancer? New Study On Talc Use
“Overall, women can be very reassured by this,” said Dana Gossett, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco, who co-authored an editorial accompanying the new research. “The use of genital powders is unlikely to cause a significant increase in ovarian cancer risk.” (Langreth and Feeley, 1/7)
CNN: Study Finds No Statistically Significant Link Between Talc Powder And Ovarian Cancer
This observational study has limitations. The way the groups assessed exposure and frequency of use varied, so it's hard to know if there is a connection to how much a person uses the powder and ovarian cancer. The data didn't capture what types of powder women used. All four sets of data included mostly white, well-educated women, half of whom had BMI less than 25, meaning they were not overweight, so it's it's not clear if this result can be generalized to other demographics. (Christensen, 1/7)
