California is considering labeling one of the most commonly used drugs on the market a cancer risk, USA Today reported.
Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in popular pain relief drugs including Tylenol, Excedrin and Midol, has been under review in California for years because of some studies suggesting it causes an increased risk of some forms of cancer.
This spring, a panel of scientists appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newson will hold a public hearing to decide whether acetaminophen should be added to a list of about 900 other chemicals the state considers a cancer risk, according to USA Today.
A California law called Proposition 65 requires the state to warn its residents about chemicals that might cause cancer. Adding acetaminophen to the list wouldn't ban it, but it would require any drugs containing it to have a carcinogen warning label.
More than 100 studies have hinted that acetaminophen could cause an increased risk of cancer, but state regulators say it is difficult to isolate the risk from the drug from other risk factors, such as smoking.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer reviewed acetaminophen in both 1990 and 1999 and both times decided not to list it as a carcinogen, USA Today reported.
The FDA has told state officials that labeling acetaminophen a carcinogen would be "false and misleading" and even illegal.
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