In part 1 of the post, we discussed some common household items that have been linked to cancer in the past and whether their connection to cancer is based on hype or fact. Here are some of more of such items:
- Cholesterol lowering drugs called statins were implicated as increasing cancer risk in a study conducted in 2007. However the year after, there was another study conducted that found that every person with high cholesterol, whether on statin medication or not, was seen to have elevated cancer risk – so it was concluded that it wasn’t the medication so much as the condition itself that raised cancer risk.
- The ethanol content in commonly used mouthwashes such as Listerine were linked to increased risk of oral cancer since it made mouth tissue more vulnerable to carcinogens, experts said. However it has since been concluded that mouthwash is safe to use if used as directed. People who smoke had best avoid those brands that contain alcohol.
- Cell phones and cancer risk is an ongoing public debate – while claims of cancer risk are regularly made, studies have never been able to establish beyond doubt one way or the other, whether there is a link between brain cancer and cell phone usage. However higher incidence of certain kinds of brain cancer among those who use their cell phones a lot may indicate that we should limit cell phone use in any case.
