Study finds significant chemical exposures in women with cancer

In an indication that publicity to sure endocrine-disrupting chemical compounds could also be enjoying a task in cancers of the breast, ovary, pores and skin and uterus, researchers have discovered that individuals who developed these cancers have considerably greater ranges of those chemical compounds of their our bodies.

Whereas it doesn’t show that publicity to chemical compounds like PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) and phenols (together with BPA) led to those most cancers diagnoses, it’s a robust sign that they might be enjoying a task and ought to be studied additional.

The examine confirmed that significantly for ladies, greater publicity to PFDE, a long-chained PFAS compound, had double the percentages of a earlier melanoma analysis; girls with greater publicity to 2 different long-chained PFAS compounds, PFNA and PFUA, had practically double the percentages of a previous melanoma analysis.

The examine appeared Sept. 17, 2023, within the Journal of Publicity Science and Environmental Epidemiology.

The examine confirmed a hyperlink between PFNA and a previous analysis of uterine most cancers; and girls with greater publicity to phenols, reminiscent of BPA (utilized in plastics) and a pair of,5-dichlorophenol (a chemical utilized in dyes and located as a by-product in wastewater remedy), had greater odds of prior ovarian most cancers diagnoses.

The examine was performed by researchers from UC San Francisco (UCSF), College of Southern California (USC) and College of Michigan, all of whom are a part of Environmental Well being Sciences Core Facilities.

They used information from blood and urine samples from greater than 10,000 individuals within the Nationwide Well being and Vitamin Examination Survey (NHANES). They investigated present publicity to phenols and PFAS in relation to earlier most cancers diagnoses, and explored racial/ethnic disparities in these associations.

“These findings spotlight the necessity to contemplate PFAS and phenols as complete lessons of environmental danger components for most cancers danger in girls,” mentioned Max Aung, Ph.D., senior creator of the examine who performed the analysis whereas on the UCSF Program on Reproductive Well being and the Surroundings and now an affiliate professor of environmental well being at USC Keck College of Drugs.

PFAS are ubiquitous within the atmosphere

PFAS have contaminated water, meals and other people by way of merchandise reminiscent of Teflon pans, waterproof clothes, stain-resistant carpets and materials, and meals packaging. They’re also known as “perpetually chemical compounds” as a result of they’re immune to breaking down and subsequently final for many years within the atmosphere. PFAS additionally stay in individuals’s techniques anyplace from a number of months to years.

“These PFAS chemical compounds seem to disrupt hormone perform in girls, which is one potential mechanism that will increase odds of hormone-related cancers in girls,” mentioned Amber Cathey, Ph.D., lead creator of the examine and a analysis college scientist on the College of Michigan, College of Public Well being.

The examine additionally recognized racial variations. Associations between numerous PFAS and ovarian and uterine cancers had been noticed solely amongst white girls, whereas associations between a PFAS known as MPAH and a phenol known as BPF and breast most cancers had been noticed solely amongst non-white girls.

Researchers say EPA ought to regulate PFAS as a category of chemical compounds

“As communities across the nation grapple with PFAS contamination, this provides additional proof that helps policymakers growing motion to cut back PFAS publicity,” mentioned Tracey J. Woodruff, Ph.D., MPH, UCSF professor and director of the Program on Reproductive Well being and the Surroundings and director of the UCSF EaRTH Heart, which supported the examine.

“Since PFAS make up hundreds of chemical compounds, one approach to cut back exposures is for EPA to control PFAS as a category of chemical compounds, somewhat than one by one.”