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Received Feb 2, 2017; Revised Jun 21, 2017; Accepted Jul 17, 2017
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
1. Introduction
Talc is a mineral that is commonly used in food, drug, and cosmetic and industrial applications. Due to the platyness, softness, hydrophobicity, organophilicity, and inertness of talc, it can bring benefits to a wide range of industries, including agriculture, ceramics, food, paper, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and rubber [1].
Regarding the carcinogenicity of talc, we must distinguish between talc with and without asbestos. In a review published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 1987, talc powders containing and not containing asbestiform fibers were separated as topics of discussion [2]. The IARC classifies talc containing asbestos as “carcinogenic to humans” (group 1). However, based on limited data of animal studies and lack of evidence in human studies, the IARC classifies inhaled talc without asbestos as “not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans” (group 3) [3]. Although coexposure of talc and asbestos is common, talc was much less discussed and regulated. For instance, the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) has not fully reviewed talc as a possible carcinogen [4].
It is worth noting that major reviews of human studies of talc are largely based on epidemiologic studies conducted in Europe and North America. Talc production occurs worldwide, and China is the leading producer of talc in the world, followed by India, Brazil, and...
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