Varicella (chickenpox) is relatively uncommon in childbearing women, because most are exposed to the disease before adolescence. The incidence of chickenpox in pregnancy is estimated at 0.7 cases per 1,000 pregnancies. When women contract chickenpox i
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In the countries of the European Community, cigarette smoking is responsible for the deaths of over 106,000 women each year. In these countries, 34 percent of women 15 to 24 years of age are smokers. In several countries, smoking is more prevalent amo
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Estrogen and calcium are commonly used to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis. Calcitriol has been considered for the treatment of osteoporosis because it increases intestinal calcium absorption, stimulates bone synthesis and decreases bone resorption.
Breath-holding spells represent an involuntary, reflexive action that occurs during active or full expiration. The spells are a dramatic and commonly observed clinical phenomenon in otherwise healthy children. In a review article, DiMario summarizes t
Serum total cholesterol levels are known to vary widely in individuals because of physiologic, dietary and sampling reasons. Hetland and colleagues investigated how accurately a single fasting serum total cholesterol determination reflects long-term c
Although the incidence of retained stones following common bile duct exploration has fallen, 5,000 cases still occur each year in the United States. Because of the high morbidity and mortality associated with reoperation to remove retained stones, int
Approximately 20 percent of patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding require surgery, and the mortality rate is 10 percent. New drugs that inhibit gastric acid secretion by action on the proton pump mechanism could be rapidly effective in p
Approximately 1 percent of women have three or more miscarriages before the first live birth. Limited studies have suggested that women with a history of multiple spontaneous abortions are at greater risk of giving birth to an infant with intrauterine
Author: David Slawson
Date: Oct 15, 2005
Clinical Question: Does regular personal use of hair dye increase the risk of cancer?
Setting: Various (meta-analysis)
Study Design: Systematic review
Synopsis: Recent media reports have raised concern about the potential risk of hair dyes causing cancer. In this study, the authors systematically searched multiple electronic databases, reference lists, and meeting abstracts for studies in any language reporting data on personal use of hair dye and risk of cancer. Two persons independently performed the search and data extraction.
The authors performed summary analyses on a total of 79 case-control and cohort studies, including 14 studies on breast cancer, 10 studies on bladder cancer, and 40 studies on hematopoietic cancers. No evidence indicated a significant increase in the risk of bladder cancer or breast cancer with regular use of hair dye. There was, however, an increased lifetime risk of hematopoietic cancers (relative risk = 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.05 to 1.27) among regular users of hair dye. The risk of developing other cancers (e.g., brain, ovarian, salivary glands) among hair dye users was evaluated in only one or two small studies, making it difficult to report reliable summary statistics. A formal analysis found no evidence for publication bias.
Bottom Line: Regular personal use of hair dye minimally increases only the lifetime risk of hematopoietic cancers. There is no increased risk of cancers in other sites. (Level of Evidence: 2a-)
DAVID SLAWSON, M.D.
Study Reference: Takkouche B, et al. Personal use of hair dyes and risk of cancer: a meta-analysis. JAMA May 25, 2005;293:2516-25.
Used with permission from Slawson D. Hair dye use may slightly increase cancer risk. Accessed online July 25, 2005, at: http://www.InfoPOEMs.com.
COPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Family PhysiciansCOPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group