The short answer
The American Cancer Society reports no proven cancer risk to people from using nonstick (Teflon) cookware. Older concern focused on a manufacturing chemical, PFOA, which has been phased out of nonstick coatings since around 2013. PFOA and related 'forever chemicals' are studied for possible links to some cancers, but that is about exposure sources beyond today's pans.
There are no proven cancer risks to people from using nonstick cookware.
Older concern focused on a manufacturing chemical called PFOA.
PFOA has been phased out of nonstick coatings since around 2013.
PFOA is now classified by IARC as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) — but that concerns industrial and drinking-water exposure, not cooking on a modern PFOA-free pan.
Choose how you want to understand this
The full explanation.
The claim
Nonstick pans are often called by the brand name Teflon. Rumor has it they cause cancer, above all if they are scratched or overheated. The worry blends into a broader concern about 'forever chemicals' in the environment.
What the evidence shows
The American Cancer Society states there are no proven risks to humans from using cookware coated with Teflon or other nonstick surfaces. The old concern was not the finished coating. It was a chemical used to make it, called PFOA. PFOA has been phased out of nonstick cookware in the U.S. since around 2013, and today's pans are made without it.
The 'forever chemicals' question
PFOA is part of a large family of long-lasting chemicals called PFAS. In 2023, a World Health Organization panel called PFOA a known cause of cancer in people. Most of that proof came from animal studies. The evidence in people was thinner. It pointed to two cancers: kidney cancer and testicular cancer. Cancer institute studies have found the same pattern. But all of this is about other ways people take PFOA in, such as tap water or work in a plant. It is not about cooking on a new pan.
The bottom line
On current evidence, using a nonstick pan is not a proven cancer risk. Sensible care still helps. Do not overheat an empty pan, since very high heat can release fumes, and replace badly scratched cookware. The larger 'forever chemicals' issue is a real area of study. It is about broader exposure, not everyday nonstick cooking.
Sources
Words to know
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Common questions
Do nonstick pans cause cancer?
The American Cancer Society reports no proven cancer risk to people from using nonstick cookware.
What about PFOA and 'forever chemicals'?
PFOA has been phased out of nonstick coatings since around 2013. IARC classified PFOA itself as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) in 2023, but that assessment is about industrial and drinking-water exposure, not about cooking on today's pans.
Is it bad to use a scratched pan?
It is not a proven cancer risk, but replacing badly scratched cookware and not overheating empty pans is sensible.
Can overheating a pan be harmful?
Very high heat on an empty nonstick pan can release fumes, so avoid overheating — this is separate from any cancer claim.
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-13 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-11Next planned review: 2027-01-13
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Editorial review complete — This page completed Cancer Explained's editorial checks (sources, safety, plain language, duplication). It has not been reviewed by a physician or other healthcare professional.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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