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Table 1 Carcinogenicity classifications and sources of exposures for hormones in pharmaceuticals and personal care products

From: State of the evidence 2017: an update on the connection between breast cancer and the environment

Product

IARC

NTP

Source of exposure

Diethylstilbestrol

1

K

Formerly prescribed to pregnant women to sustain viable pregnancies

Hormone Replacement Therapy

1

 

Treatment of symptoms experienced in menopause

 Conjugated equine estrogens

2A

 

 Medroxyprogesterone acetate

  

 Bioidentical hormones

1

 

Oral contraceptives

1

 

Contraception

Infertility treatment drugs

  

Infertility treatment

 Clomiphene citrate

1

 

 Gonadotropins

  

Hormones in personal care products

1

 

Use of placental extracts in personal care products, especially products marketed to women of color

  1. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifications: 1 = Carcinogenic to humans, 2A = Probably carcinogenic to humans, 2B = Possibly carcinogenic to humans, 3 = Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans; U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) classifications: K = Known to be a human carcinogen, RA = Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. Source of exposure list contains most common exposure sources