Parabens , chemicals found in many cosmetic products popular among women , contribute to breast cancer and more research is needed to measure their effect on health .
spent on the humanistic aspects of cancer , how well people live , what are the kinds of costs people incur , do people return to work ,” said Dr Nirmala , noting that these are mostly women ’ s problems that the men in charge of allocating research funds may struggle to understand because they don ’ t have to go through them .
“ You will not know something when you don ’ t experience it , only women with prior experience can relate and empathise and see that as a problem ,” she stressed .
This lack of a female perspective in cancer research may also explain why there are still no clear data on the safety of some products mostly used by women , despite long-standing concerns over them being potential cancer risk factors .
Parabens , chemicals found in many cosmetic products popular among women , are one example . The commission notes that limited evidence suggests these compounds might contribute to breast cancer and more research is needed to measure their effect on health . “ Some parabens have been restricted by the EU [ European Union ] regulatory body , citing insufficient evidence of their safety ,” wrote the commission members .
Similarly , hair relaxer products have been associated with endometrial cancer , a malignancy that develops in the womb , but more data still needs to be collected to confirm or rule out this association .
“ There are emerging risk factors like hair relaxers that mostly affect women but how much research has been conducted in the past ? Very little ,” said Dr Nirmala .
She also pointed out that night shift work is another potential risk factor that requires more attention . “ Some studies have shown that night shift work is a risk factor for breast cancer , and who does most of the night shift work ? Nurses who are predominantly women .”
Lung and colorectal cancers are also top killers of women Another misconception about cancer risk disparities is the idea that the greatest cancer risk for women comes from female malignancies like breast and cervical cancers .
This attitude re�ects historical trends that allocated more global public health resources to improving problems related to women ’ s reproductive systems , like maternal mortality risk .
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com ISSUE 2 | 2024
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