Talcum Powder, Testosterone, and Ovarian Cancer


Copyright 2016, James Michael Howard, Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.A.

I sent this to some individuals involved in the medical aspects of the possible connection between talc use and ovarian cancer. I thought this should be available for consideration by others.

I suggest another explanation may exist to account for a connection between talc application to genital areas and ovarian cancer.

It is my hypothesis of 1994 that increased testosterone increases breast cancer, as well as other cancers, (International Journal of Cancer 2005; 115: 497). This also explains why breast cancer is increasing; it is my hypothesis that women of higher testosterone are increasing in percentage within the population with time. Subsequent to my publication, high testosterone levels have been found in breast cancer.

A connection has been made between androgen (testosterone) in female-to-male transsexuals and ovarian cancer (Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2006;62(4):226-8; “Ovarian cancer associated with testosterone supplementation in a female-to-male transsexual patient”) Also, while I have not discovered a report in medical literature, there are anecdotal accounts of testosterone and increased vaginal odor, also related by female-to-male transsexuals.

Talc has been commonly used as a vaginal anti-odor agent.

I suggest the basis of a connection between talc use and ovarian cancer may be increased testosterone in women. This possible explanation may avoid costly and unjustified litigation.