8 things that have been discovered in 2021 that are related to cancer, from makeup to sexual habits

Each year in Spain more than 100,000 people die with cancer, making the disease one of the main causes of death in the country.

Scientists don't fully understand how cancer works or what causes each cancer.

It is difficult to determine the origin of the disease because many factors are involved, such as genetics, environment, lifestyle and even work.

Some of the research that has been carried out in 2021 has found links to cancer in our everyday lives as well.

Known cancer-causing chemicals keep turning up in unexpected places, including household items, due to industrial pollution. Researchers are also beginning to better understand the health implications of other toxins, such as pesticides.

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This year's evidence suggests that pesticides are linked to cancer for decades and generations after exposure. And lifestyle habits, such as what we eat, drink and do, also influence the risk of cancer and when to develop it.

Although intriguing, the findings do not point directly to the cause of cancer, but understanding the correlations may help scientists ask future research questions to improve our understanding of the disease and how to prevent it.

These are the 8 things that have been discovered in 2021 that are related to cancer.

Light consumption, even one or 2 alcoholic drinks a day, can increase the risk of cancer

Although alcohol has long been listed as a carcinogen, research continues to support the theory that there may be no safe amount to consume.

A study published in July in The Lancet Oncology has found that regular alcohol consumption, even in moderation, is associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer have found that a total of 741,300 new cancer cases worldwide last year were alcohol-related.

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Drinking just 2 alcoholic drinks a day was linked to 103,000 new cases of cancer in 2020, according to the study.

But it's still worth cutting back, as more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day is even riskier, according to evidence.

According to the study results, binge drinking — 6 or more drinks a day — was the leading reason, being linked to nearly half of all alcohol-related cancer cases in 2020.

Some batches of sunscreen were contaminated with a carcinogenic substance

Sun protection is often recommended as a strategy to mitigate skin cancer caused by the sun's ultraviolet rays.

But this year, Valisure, an independent testing laboratory, called for 40 batches of sunscreen products to be recalled from store shelves after they tested positive for benzene, a cancer-causing industrial chemical.

Benzene has been known to increase cancer risk since 1977, when a study found that workers exposed to it were 9 times more likely to develop leukemia.

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Sunscreen products may have been unknowingly contaminated with benzene during manufacture, as this chemical is used as an industrial solvent.

Although the amount of this chemical in sunscreen was small, no exposure is safe, experts say.

Researchers who have looked at sunscreen products say it's likely a problem with specific batches, rather than certain brands or products themselves, so don't forego sunscreen entirely. .

Carcinogenic benzene has also been found in some deodorants

Benzene, an industrial chemical linked to blood cancers such as leukemia, was also found in 2 dozen batches of spray deodorant.

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The analysis laboratory Valisure urged the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove the products from the shelves, which prompted Procter & Gamble to voluntarily recall 18 types of deodorants, including Old Spice and Secret products.

The deodorants in question contained up to 9 times the FDA-recommended limit of benzene, according to Valisure's research.

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Products from 7 other brands also tested positive for benzene, but the companies took no immediate action.

Benzene was not an ingredient in the products, but likely a side effect of their manufacture, according to a statement from Procter & Gamble.

The company said trace amounts of benzene were detected in the material used to spray the deodorant out of the can. The researchers said that butane, a common propellant in aerosol sprays, was likely the source of the benzene contamination.

Soda Drinking Linked to Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Young Women

Daily soft drink consumption may be contributing to the rise in colorectal cancer in younger people, according to a study published May 6 in the journal Gut.

Researchers found that women who drank several cups of soda or other sugary drinks each day were twice as likely to develop cancer before age 50, compared to those who drank less than one soda a week.

Evidence suggests that risk begins in adolescence, and that each daily consumption of sugary drinks between the ages of 13 and 18 contributes to an increased risk of colon cancer before age 50.

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Overall, the study found that the rate of colorectal cancers in young people was relatively low; only 109 cases were identified among 95,464 participants in 24 years of follow-up.

However, the disease is increasing among the very young, as the median age of colorectal cancer diagnosis has fallen from 72 to 66 in recent years. The researchers don't know why, but they think unhealthy diets play a role.

Cosmetics such as waterproof mascara and foundation tested positive for "permanent chemicals"

This year, a wide variety of cosmetics have tested positive for cancer-causing "permanent chemicals," including waterproof mascara, liquid lipstick, and foundation.

Researchers have analyzed 231 samples of cosmetic products and found that almost half of them had elevated levels of fluoride, indicating the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluorinated substances.

This group of chemicals, called PFASs, are known to remain in the environment and in the human body over time, accumulating and creating health risks. Exposure to common types of PFAS has been linked to several types of cancer, as well as thyroid and immune system problems.

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Researchers have found that waterproof or long-lasting products are the most likely to contain PFAS.

Most products containing PFAS were not labeled as such, prompting researchers to call for more stringent government oversight. Cosmetics are less regulated than the food and pharmaceutical industries, despite the fact that their proximity to the human body can lead to hazardous chemical exposures.

Practicing oral sex at an early age is linked to an increased risk of contracting HPV and other related cancers

The age at which oral sex begins and the number of sexual partners may play a role in the development of a sexually transmitted disease-related cancer, new research suggests.

HPV, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, is a leading cause of mouth and throat cancer. And, according to the researchers, certain sexual experiences were linked to an increased risk of developing it.

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People who reported earlier oral sex and more sexual partners overall were more likely to develop mouth and throat cancer than those who had fewer partners and later oral sex, according to research published in Cancer.

The study also found that more frequent engagement in tongue kissing and vaginal sex was associated with an increased risk of HPV and related cancers.

However, the research had some limitations, because it focused primarily on heterosexual participants who were between the ages of 50 and 69 and were married or living with a partner during the study.

Pesticides May Have Generational Effects on Cancer Risk Factors

Women whose grandparents were exposed to toxic pesticides are at increased risk of breast cancer, according to 2021 research.

DDT, or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, is a chemical that was banned in 1972 after tests suggested its risks to human and environmental health outweighed its benefits in killing pests.

Decades later, researchers have discovered that health risks can be passed down from generation to generation.

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The offspring of women who were pregnant during the days DDT was popular were 2 to 3 times more likely to be obese, according to research from the University of California at Davis.

Women in their 20s and 30s whose grandmothers were exposed to DDT were also more likely to start their periods early, around age 11. Early menstruation can be a risk factor for later health problems, such as breast cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Parasites in contaminated meat or water linked to rare brain cancer

Eating raw or undercooked meat may be linked to the risk of a rare form of brain cancer via parasitic infection, according to a 2021 study.

Researchers at the American Cancer Society discovered that Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled parasite found in contaminated meat and water, was linked to an aggressive form of brain cancer. Known as a glioma, this rare cancer is responsible for 80% of malignant brain tumors.

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Parasites may affect between 20% and 50% of the world's population, research suggests. They usually go unnoticed in human hosts, but sometimes cause cysts inside the brain. The resulting inflammation can lead to a glioma, according to the researchers.

But glioma is still extremely rare, and T. gondii has yet to be directly linked to cancer, so more research is needed.