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 job in cancers of the breast, ovary, pores and skin and uterus, researchers have discovered that individuals who developed these cancers have considerably increased 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 job and needs to be studied additional.

The research confirmed that significantly for ladies, increased publicity to PFDE, a long-chained PFAS compound, had double the chances of a earlier melanoma prognosis; girls with increased publicity to 2 different long-chained PFAS compounds, PFNA and PFUA, had almost double the chances of a previous melanoma prognosis.

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

The research confirmed a hyperlink between PFNA and a previous prognosis of uterine most cancers; and ladies with increased publicity to phenols, reminiscent of BPA (utilized in plastics) and a couple of,5-dichlorophenol (a chemical utilized in dyes and located as a by-product in wastewater therapy), had increased odds of prior ovarian most cancers diagnoses.

The research was carried out 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 folks 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 take into account PFAS and phenols as entire lessons of environmental danger elements for most cancers danger in girls,” mentioned Max Aung, Ph.D., senior creator of the research who carried out the analysis whereas on the UCSF Program on Reproductive Well being and the Setting and now an affiliate professor of environmental well being at USC Keck Faculty of Drugs.

PFAS are ubiquitous within the atmosphere

PFAS have contaminated water, meals and folks via merchandise reminiscent of Teflon pans, waterproof clothes, stain-resistant carpets and materials, and meals packaging. They’re sometimes called “ceaselessly chemical compounds” as a result of they’re proof against breaking down and subsequently final for many years within the atmosphere. PFAS additionally stay in folks’s methods 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 research and a analysis college scientist on the College of Michigan, Faculty of Public Well being.

The research additionally recognized racial variations. Associations between numerous PFAS and ovarian and uterine cancers have been noticed solely amongst white girls, whereas associations between a PFAS known as MPAH and a phenol known as BPF and breast most cancers have 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 Setting and director of the UCSF EaRTH Heart, which supported the research.

“Since PFAS make up 1000’s of chemical compounds, one approach to scale back exposures is for EPA to manage PFAS as a category of chemical compounds, quite than one by one.”