Talcum Powder From Talc Can Cause Cancer
Brands of talcum powder available in the country have been found to contain harmful elements, according to an initial study conducted by the Pakistan Medical Research Council (PMRC) in Islamabad. The researchers hastened to add, however, that the study was too small to draw a definite conclusion and further extensive studies would be undertaken. “More extensive investigations would have to be undertaken by consumer protection bodies such as the Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research,” said PMRC Director Dr Huma Qureshi while talking to Daily Times Friday. Talcum powder is produced from talc, a magnesium trisilicate mineral, which in its natural form may contain asbestos, a known human carcinogen (any substance that causes cancer or helps cancer grow). Asbestos can cause lung cancer and mesotheliomas (cancers affecting the lining surfaces of the chest and abdominal cavities). Because of this association with asbestos, all home-use talcum products marketed in the USA aft...