
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 2, 1994                   TAG: 9402020022
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Cox News Service
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

HAIR DYES, TINTS AREN'T CANCER CAUSERS

Women who use most permanent hair dyes can concentrate on worrying about gray roots and relax a little about cancer, researchers said Tuesday.

Epidemiologists with the American Cancer Society said a study of more than a half-million women revealed that years of tint failed to increase the risk of dying from most common cancers.

In fact, the researchers found - but could not explain - dramatically reduced deaths from urinary system cancers among women who had been dying their hair.

Only women who had used black dyes for at least 20 years appeared to have increased their risk of developing fatal cancer, and in those cases, the effect was slight, the researchers said.

by CNB