Research finds important chemical exposures in ladies with most cancers

In an indication that publicity to sure endocrine-disrupting chemical substances could also be taking part in a job 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 substances of their our bodies.

Whereas it doesn’t show that publicity to chemical substances 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 taking part in a job and needs to be studied additional.

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

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 prognosis of uterine most cancers; and ladies with greater publicity to phenols, corresponding to 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 greater odds of prior ovarian most cancers diagnoses.

The examine 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 Diet 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 think about PFAS and phenols as entire courses of environmental threat elements for most cancers threat in ladies,” mentioned Max Aung, Ph.D., senior writer of the examine who carried out 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 Faculty of Medication.

PFAS are ubiquitous within the surroundings

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

“These PFAS chemical substances seem to disrupt hormone operate in ladies, which is one potential mechanism that will increase odds of hormone-related cancers in ladies,” mentioned Amber Cathey, Ph.D., lead writer of the examine and a analysis school scientist on the College of Michigan, Faculty 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 ladies, 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 ladies.

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

“As communities across the nation grapple with PFAS contamination, this provides additional proof that helps policymakers creating motion to scale 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 1000’s of chemical substances, one technique to scale back exposures is for EPA to manage PFAS as a category of chemical substances, fairly than one after the other.”