Dear Dr. Hibberd: My wife has spent a fair amount of money replacing all our non-stick Teflon pans with stainless steel cookware. Do you think Teflon is dangerous?

Answer:
Tremendous confusion exists on this topic. Intact Teflon has not been proven to cause cancer. There is a large body of information to suggest Teflon is a carcinogen, and while it may not actually cause cancer when used in cookware, it is imprudent to use pots and pans with worn or flaking Teflon. In animals it seems to be suspected of inducing malignant or tumor changes. I agree with your wife...there is too much information suggesting harm to really believe it is totally safe, I'm all for using stainless steel instead.