SABCS- Moisturizers and hidden estrogen

saluki

I find this very creepy---didn't know you could have estrogen in a product and not list it in the ingredients.--Baby oil anyone?

From the San Antonio Breast Cancer symposium.

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SABCS: Breast Cancer Patients May Get Estrogen Exposure from Skin Creams
By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: December 17, 2008
Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston.
SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 17 -- Breast cancer patients may unknowingly expose themselves to estrogen by using certain skin moisturizers, a breast cancer survivor reported here.

Laboratory analyses identified a half-dozen different products containing measurable levels of estriol and estrone, Adrienne C. Olson, Pharm.D., of Breastlink in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., told attendees at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

None of the products listed the estrogenic hormones among its ingredients.

"No one could tell from reading the ingredients that the products contained estrogenic hormones," she said.
Action Points 

    * Explain to patients that this study showed that some skin moisturizers contain estrogens.

    * Point out that breast cancer patients' risk from exposure to estrogen-containing skin creams is unclear.

    * Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented orally at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Dr. Olson became interested in the estrogen-moisturizer association during her own treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Chemotherapy-induced menopause caused her skin to become dry and wrinkled.

So she began using a moisturizer that restored her skin's natural appearance.

In fact, the moisturizer worked so well that she suspected the product might contain estrogen, which helps maintain skin integrity and promote a "youthful appearance."

Following up on her suspicions, Dr. Olson collected containers of 16 nonprescription skin moisturizers, spanning a wide cost range.

She sent the samples to a research laboratory, which tested the products for the presence of estradiol, estrone, and estriol.

Analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography (NPLC) revealed estrone at a concentration of 0.05% in one of the products and estriol in five others at concentrations ranging from 0.17% to 0.61%.

Some of the other products might contain lower levels of the hormones that were not detected by HPLC, she added. Moreover, the product analysis did not include testing for customized or designer estrogens.

Whether this transdermal exposure to estrogenic hormones can influence the behavior of ER-positive breast tumors is unclear.

"Until the late 1970s, the intact epidermis was thought to be impermeable to medications in creams and ointments," said Dr. Olson. "We now know that the skin is much more porous than we previously believed."

Enforcement of FDA regulations pertaining to cosmetics is based on the outdated concept of the skin as an impermeable barrier, she added.

"We're just concerned," said Dr. Olson. "We want women to be informed. I personally use baby oil on my skin and nothing else."

Dr. Olson reported no potential conflicts of interest.


Primary source: San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
Source reference:
Olson AC, et al "Breast cancer patients unknowingly dosing themselves with estrogen by using topical moisturizers" SABCS 2008 Abstracts. 282s. Abstract 4087.
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fire

Hi,

I just read about it on YAHOO, but it didn't say what moisturizer to avoid.

I send question about this  to tonight's online conference on bc.org.

I hope the experts  will give an a answer.

Also, what about cosmetics?

vivre

I have been looking for moisterizers for months that do not have all the carcinogens in them:

PEG, Frangrance(where anything can be labeled as such),propylene glycol, urea, DEA, TEA, SLS, paraben, talc, petroleum

I finally went to my kitchen and just started using the olive oil, like my grandmother did. It felt great! Then I heard that sunflower oil, grapeseed oil and almond oil were great, so now I keep these in my bathroom. No more chemicals for me! If it is good for salad, it is good for me! I also use these in my bath. Do not use mineral oil, it is petroleum based. I use to use a lot of vaseline. Now I realize it is congealed petroleum. Honestly, the stuff we have unwittingly subjected our bodies to, It is no wonder we got cancer. I was always slathering this stuff all over my breasts. I was always using antiperspirant with aluminum. Sometimes, if it was really hot out, and I was biking or playing golf, I would actually put antiperspirant under my breasts! Live and Learn.