Skip to main content
NCBI home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1998 Dec;88(12):1767–1773. doi: 10.2105/ajph.88.12.1767

Hair-color products and risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a population-based study in the San Francisco bay area.

E A Holly 1, C Lele 1, P M Bracci 1
PMCID: PMC1509050  PMID: 9842372

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: As part of a large, epidemiologic study of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, this study investigated a possible association between use of hair-color products and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. METHODS: A population-based case-control study was conducted in the San Francisco Bay area. Of 4108 participants, 2544 were questioned about use of hair-color products. Control subjects were identified by use of random-digit dialing. RESULTS: Ever use of hair-color products was reported by 56% of case and 56% of control women and 10% of case and 9% of control men. Risks were not elevated for women for use of any hair-color products. Men who ever used semipermanent hair color had slightly elevated risks for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with trends associated with greater lifetime frequency of use and frequency of use per year, although individual confidence intervals overlapped unity. These elevated risks were diminished with exclusive use of semipermanent products, and confidence intervals overlapped unity. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of our results with those from experimental animal studies and other epidemiologic studies provides little convincing evidence linking non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with normal use of hair-color products in humans.

Full text

PDF
1767

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ames B. N., Kammen H. O., Yamasaki E. Hair dyes are mutagenic: identification of a variety of mutagenic ingredients. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Jun;72(6):2423–2427. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.6.2423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bracher M., Faller C., Grötsch W., Marshall R., Spengler J. Studies on the potential mutagenicity of p-phenylenediamine in oxidative hair dye mixtures. Mutat Res. 1990 Jul;241(3):313–323. doi: 10.1016/0165-1218(90)90030-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Burnett C., Lanman B., Giovacchini R., Wolcott G., Scala R., Keplinger M. Long-term toxicity studies on oxidation hair dyes. Food Cosmet Toxicol. 1975 Jun;13(3):353–357. doi: 10.1016/s0015-6264(75)80299-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cantor K. P., Blair A., Everett G., VanLier S., Burmeister L., Dick F. R., Gibson R. W., Schuman L. Hair dye use and risk of leukemia and lymphoma. Am J Public Health. 1988 May;78(5):570–571. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.5.570. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Colditz G. A. Hair dye and cancer: reassuring evidence of no association. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1994 Feb 2;86(3):164–165. doi: 10.1093/jnci/86.3.164. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Devesa S. S., Fears T. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma time trends: United States and international data. Cancer Res. 1992 Oct 1;52(19 Suppl):5432s–5440s. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Grodstein F., Hennekens C. H., Colditz G. A., Hunter D. J., Stampfer M. J. A prospective study of permanent hair dye use and hematopoietic cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1994 Oct 5;86(19):1466–1470. doi: 10.1093/jnci/86.19.1466. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hartge P., Brinton L. A., Rosenthal J. F., Cahill J. I., Hoover R. N., Waksberg J. Random digit dialing in selecting a population-based control group. Am J Epidemiol. 1984 Dec;120(6):825–833. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113955. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hartge P., Devesa S. S. Quantification of the impact of known risk factors on time trends in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma incidence. Cancer Res. 1992 Oct 1;52(19 Suppl):5566s–5569s. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hennekens C. H., Speizer F. E., Rosner B., Bain C. J., Belanger C., Peto R. Use of permanent hair dyes and cancer among registered nurses. Lancet. 1979 Jun 30;1(8131):1390–1393. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)92021-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hofer H., Hruby E. Skin penetration by 2,4-diaminoanisole in the rat. Food Chem Toxicol. 1983 Jun;21(3):331–334. doi: 10.1016/0278-6915(83)90069-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Holly E. A., Lele C., Bracci P. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in homosexual men in the San Francisco Bay Area: occupational, chemical, and environmental exposures. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1997 Jul 1;15(3):223–231. doi: 10.1097/00042560-199707010-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Holly E. A., Lele C. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in HIV-positive and HIV-negative homosexual men in the San Francisco Bay Area: allergies, prior medication use, and sexual practices. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1997 Jul 1;15(3):211–222. doi: 10.1097/00042560-199707010-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Jacobs M. M., Burnett C. M., Penicnak A. J., Herrera J. A., Morris W. E., Shubik P., Apaja M., Granroth G. Evaluation of the toxicity and carcinogenicity of hair dyes in Swiss mice. Drug Chem Toxicol. 1984;7(6):573–586. doi: 10.3109/01480548409042820. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. La Vecchia C., Tavani A. Epidemiological evidence on hair dyes and the risk of cancer in humans. Eur J Cancer Prev. 1995 Feb;4(1):31–43. doi: 10.1097/00008469-199502000-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lele C., Holly E. A., Roseman D. S., Thomas D. B. Comparison of control subjects recruited by random digit dialing and area survey. Am J Epidemiol. 1994 Oct 1;140(7):643–648. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a117303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mueller N. Another view of the epidemiology of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Oncology (Williston Park) 1994 Sep;8(9):83–83. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Olson S. H., Kelsey J. L., Pearson T. A., Levin B. Evaluation of random digit dialing as a method of control selection in case-control studies. Am J Epidemiol. 1992 Jan 15;135(2):210–222. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a116273. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Parker S. L., Tong T., Bolden S., Wingo P. A. Cancer statistics, 1997. CA Cancer J Clin. 1997 Jan-Feb;47(1):5–27. doi: 10.3322/canjclin.47.1.5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Searle C. E., Jones E. L. Effects of repeated applications of two semi-permanent hair dyes to the skin of A and DBAf mice. Br J Cancer. 1977 Oct;36(4):467–478. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1977.216. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sontag J. M. Carcinogenicity of substituted-benzenediamines (phenylenediamines) in rats and mice. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1981 Mar;66(3):591–602. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Stavraky K. M., Clarke E. A., Donner A. A case-control study of hair-dye use and cancers of various sites. Br J Cancer. 1981 Feb;43(2):236–239. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1981.35. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Thun M. J., Altekruse S. F., Namboodiri M. M., Calle E. E., Myers D. G., Heath C. W., Jr Hair dye use and risk of fatal cancers in U.S. women. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1994 Feb 2;86(3):210–215. doi: 10.1093/jnci/86.3.210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tsomi V., Kalopissis G. Cutaneous penetration of some hairdyes in the hairless rat. Toxicol Eur Res. 1982 May;4(3):119–127. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Weisenburger D. D. Epidemiology of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: recent findings regarding an emerging epidemic. Ann Oncol. 1994;5 (Suppl 1):19–24. doi: 10.1093/annonc/5.suppl_1.s19. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wolfram L. J., Maibach H. I. Percutaneous penetration of hair dyes. Arch Dermatol Res. 1985;277(3):235–241. doi: 10.1007/BF00404323. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Zahm S. H., Weisenburger D. D., Babbitt P. A., Saal R. C., Vaught J. B., Blair A. Use of hair coloring products and the risk of lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Am J Public Health. 1992 Jul;82(7):990–997. doi: 10.2105/ajph.82.7.990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES