How likely is diethyl phthalate to cause cancer?
Diethyl phthalate placed directly on the skin of rats daily for 2 years was not carcinogenic. Liver tumors were seen in mice that had diethyl phthalate placed directly on their skin daily for 2 years. This type of tumor is common in mice, and the smallest dose resulted in a similar number of tumors as the largest dose. It is not clear if diethyl phthalate will cause a similar effect in humans. Other studies of cancer in humans or animals exposed to diethyl phthalate were not located.
