A new study showed that women with certain cancers (breast, ovarian, etc.) had a high level of PFAS.
Many studies have already shown that environmental pollution was a risk factor for cancer. But a study published in September 2023 in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology* goes further and suggests a link between PFAS pollutants And THE breast, uterine, ovarian or melanoma cancers in women aged 20 and over. Indeed, the results of the study carried out on more than 10,000 people showed that women suffering from cancer presented a higher level of PFAS in their blood and/or urine than women who have never had cancer. For example :
► a melanoma Previous history in women was associated with higher PFDE (a type of PFAS).
► a ovarian cancer Previous history in women was associated with higher levels of DCP (another type of PFAS)
► a Uterus cancer Previous treatment was associated with increased levels of PFNA (perfluorononanoic acid, another PFAS).
► of previous breast cancers were associated with high levels of MPA or BPF, other PFAS, particularly in black-skinned women.
► among the men studied, a link between exposure to PFAS and Prostate cancer has also been demonstrated.
PFAS appears to disrupt hormonal function
PFAS, for per- and polyfluoroalkylatedare chemical substances qualified as “eternal pollutants” because they are very resistant to degradation in the environment, very persistent and very mobile. Classified as endocrine disruptorsthey are present in “everyday products“, underlines theGeneral Inspectorate of the Environment and Sustainable Development (IGEDD), as textiles (clothing, shoes, furnishing fabrics, etc.), kitchen utensils, food packaging, disposable tableware (plates, glasses, straws, etc.), non-stick coatings, food (emulsifiers, sea products…) and can contaminate the water we drink.
According to researchers, these PFAS chemicals appear to disrupt hormonal function, which may constitute a potential risk factor for cancer. “Despite the established endocrine disruptor potential of these chemicals, few epidemiological studies have evaluated their relationships with endocrine-active cancers (editor’s note: in other words, cancers whose development is influenced by hormonal mechanisms such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, melanoma, etc.). In conclusion, we report diverse associations between exposure to environmental chemicals and prior cancer diagnoses that have not been explored previously.“, conclude the authors. However, the study cannot, to date, prove a cause and effect link. Dfurther studies are needed to explore the roles of these chemicals on the estrogen disruption in these pathologies.
*conducted by researchers at UC San Francisco, the University of Southern California and the University of Michigan.