Can asbestos cause cancer of the ovary or genital tract?
It is possible. One Italian study looked at women who had been compensated for asbestos exposure in their occupation and found a higher incidence of both ovarian and uterine cancer in those women (6). Another study looked microscopically at the ovaries of women whose husbands were exposed to asbestos at work and compared them to women who had not history of exposure. They found evidence of asbestos in almost 70% of women whose husbands were exposed and 35% of the other women! Thus if 35% of all women have asbestos exposure and there is only a 1.4% lifetime incidence of ovarian cancer, there must be additional factors to consider. On the other hand, asbestos must still be seriously considered as a possible ovarian cancer causing agent. Do chemicals in pads or tampons cause cancer? Contact dermatitis has definitely been reported from the use of certain brands of sanitary pads. Most pads and even disposable diapers are made with cellulose, an organic product from plant materials, but the
