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4 Oncologists Reveal the 1 Product They'd Remove From Their Homes Immediately

By Korin Miller Parade - Health Stories
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Your home is your sanctuary, but it can also harbor seemingly innocent products that could be silently raising your risk of cancer. There's one in particular that's gotten a lot of attention lately, and is even banned in some states.

As with many things, the link between this product and cancer is a little muddled. There are no studies that directly say that using this common household product will give you cancer. But there are plenty that suggest that a chemical used in them raises the risk of cancer, which is enough to give oncologists pause.

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You're not destined to get cancer if you have this product in your home, according to Dr. Mark Ashamalla, MD, chief of radiation oncology, Episcopal Health Services Cancer Center. But if you're conscious about trying to lower your odds of developing cancer, steering clear of this is one more thing you can do to keep yourself safe.

"In oncology, we aim for practical risk reduction, not fear," explains Dr. Avishek Kumar, MD, an oncologist at Regional Cancer Care Associates in Edison, NJ. That's why he suggests "small, smart swaps over time, no anxiety required."

Want to do what you can to drive down your risk of cancer? Consider phasing this household product out.



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The 1 Product Oncologists Would Remove From Their Homes

Old, worn-down nonstick pans are concerning, according to oncologists. "The primary issues with nonstick pans and potential carcinogens stem from their chemical coatings, particularly when they are overheated or damaged," says Dr. Jamie Koprivnikar, MD, a hematology oncologist at John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center.

Modern nonstick pans are free of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is a chemical that was linked to kidney and testicular cancer, Dr. Koprivnikar points out. "It's worth noting that PFOA has been largely phased out of cookware manufacturing since 2015," Ashamalla says. "However, some replacement chemicals-such as GenX-are suspected to have similar toxicity profiles, so a ‘PFOA-free' label does not necessarily mean the product is entirely free of PFAS-related concerns."

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Nonstick pans also typically have a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon) coating that can be risky when heated above 500 degrees, Dr. Koprivnikar says.

"It can break down and release toxic fumes that cause a flu-like illness known as polymer fume fever," Dr. Koprivnikar explains. "Furthermore, scratches from utensils or abrasive cleaning can cause the coating to chip and degrade, which may lead to the leaching of chemicals and the release of thousands to millions of microplastic and nanoplastic particles into your food during cooking."

Here's where things get slightly confusing: PTFE is listed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a group 3 carcinogen, meaning it's not classified as causing cancer in humans. But the precursor molecule that's used to make PTFE, tetrafluoroethylene, isconsidered a carcinogen. (However, Ashamalla points out that the biggest concerns come from people with high exposures to these chemicals.)

"Where I do pay attention is old or damaged pans," Dr. Kumar says. "Once a coating is scratched, peeling or repeatedly overheated, you're getting exposures the manufacturer never intended."

Related: Oncologists Are Begging People To Throw Out This Common Laundry Product

What To Use Instead

It's possible to get nonstick pans that don't contain PFAS, according to Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, oncologist, co-director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and author ofEat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life. (Just be sure to read the label carefully.)

"You can also use carbon steel cookware, titanium or ceramic cookware, all of which are PFAS-free and easy to clean up," Dr. Emanuel says.

Stainless steel is a "versatile and non-reactive workhorse" that can be helpful, too, Dr. Koprivnikar says. "Enameled cast iron provides the superior heat retention of traditional cast iron but with an easy-to-clean, non-reactive surface that doesn't require seasoning, while ceramic cookware offers a modern, PFAS-free non-stick coating that is effective but less durable over time," he says.

And, for baking and food storage, Dr. Koprivnikar suggests glass containers.

How To Use Nonstick Pans as Safely as Possible

Again, the best thing you can do for your cancer risk and chemical exposure is to avoid nonstick pans entirely, especially if they're old or scratched. But doctors say you can still use nonstick pans if you're careful.

"Replace pans when the coating is extensively scratched, peeling, flaking or otherwise deteriorated-research has shown that older, degraded cookware releases significantly more microplastic particles into food than new cookware," says Dr. Ashamalla. He also suggests using wood, silicone or other nonabrasive utensils over metal utensils.

But Dr. Kumar suggests just doing your best. "The way I explain cancer risk to patients is that it's cumulative. It's almost never one thing," he says. "It's genetics plus smoking plus weight plus alcohol plus decades of small environmental exposures stacking up. So when there's a cheap, easy way to remove one of those exposures, I take it. A frying pan is about as cheap and easy as it gets."

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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 11:25 AM.

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