Does the use of talc (talcum powder) as a feminine powder increases the risk of ovarian cancer?
A number of past studies found an increased risk of ovarian cancer from talcum powder use, but these studies were considered inconclusive because of limitations in the way data were collected and analyzed. More recent studies, such as one using data from Harvard Universitys Nurses Health Study in 2000, find no overall risk of ovarian cancer from talc use and only a modest increase in one type of the disease invasive serous ovarian cancer.