Study Reveals Chemical Exposures Linked to Cancer in Women
A study indicates a potential connection between elevated levels of certain endocrine-disrupting chemicals and cancers of the breast, ovary, skin, and uterus. Individuals who developed these cancers were found to have significantly higher chemical levels in their bodies. While this doesn’t conclusively establish that exposure to chemicals like PFAS and phenols led to these cancer diagnoses, it strongly suggests a potential role that warrants further investigation.
The research highlighted that women with higher exposure to specific PFAS compounds had notably increased odds of prior melanoma diagnoses. Additionally, there was a link between PFNA exposure and prior uterine cancer diagnoses. Women with elevated phenol exposure, including BPA and 2,5-dichlorophenol, had higher odds of previous ovarian cancer diagnoses.
This study, conducted by researchers from UC San Francisco, University of Southern California, and University of Michigan, utilized data from over 10,000 individuals in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
It explored the connection between current phenol and PFAS exposure and prior cancer diagnoses, while also considering racial/ethnic disparities in these associations. The study was published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology on September 17, 2023.
“PFAS and phenols are significant environmental cancer risk factors for women,” stressed Max Aung, PhD, the study’s senior author, who conducted the research at UCSF and now serves as an associate professor of environmental health at USC Keck School of Medicine.
Chemical Exposures in Women: PFAS are pervasive environmental contaminants
PFAS have contaminated our environment through products such as Teflon cookware, waterproof clothing, stain-resistant textiles, and food packaging.
They earned the nickname “persistent chemicals” due to their resistance to degradation, lingering in the environment for decades. PFAS can also persist in individuals’ systems for months to years.
“PFOA and PFOS can disrupt hormone function, potentially increasing cancer risk,” noted Amber Cathey, PhD, lead author and research scientist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
The research also revealed disparities based on race. White women showed associations between PFAS and ovarian and uterine cancers, while non-white women exhibited associations between MPAH and BPF with breast cancer.
Researchers advocate for EPA regulation of PFAS as a chemical class
“This supports policymakers reducing PFAS exposure amid nationwide contamination,” said Tracey J. Woodruff, a UCSF professor, and director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. The UCSF EaRTH Center supported the study. “Regulating PFAS as a chemical class, rather than individually, could be an effective approach to minimize exposure.”
The study received funding from the UCSF EaRTH Center and the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Read the original article on sciencedaily.
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