My mother is 52 and healthy. However, there's a long history of cancer in her family, so I am concerned with her ongoing health. For as long as I can remember, she has douched regularly (once or twice a month) and used feminine powder on her panties daily. I have recently been told by a friend that these two items have been linked to cancer. Is this possible? If so, I want to warn my mother.

--A.

Talc, found in many feminine hygiene powders and sprays, has been linked to ovarian cancer. In one study of 215 women with ovarian cancer and 215 controls without cancer, 43 percent of the women with cancer had regularly used talc around the vaginal area, compared with only 28 percent of the women without cancer. Talc-based dusting powders or sprays should not be used in or near the vagina. If you have any powders containing talc, throw them out. Cornstarch-based powders are safe to use.

I could find no scientific studies linking douching to either cervical or ovarian cancer. Douching, however, has been associated with an increased risk of tubal/pelvic infections. The action of forcing a fluid into the vagina may transport infectious agents into the uterus, tubes and pelvic cavity. Douching also disturbs the normal balance of the vaginal ecosystem; frequent douching, therefore, is not advised.