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An estimated 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood, and 45% of US drinking
water is contaminated with the chemicals. Photograph: Morsa Images/Getty Images
An estimated 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood, and 45% of US drinking
water is contaminated with the chemicals. Photograph: Morsa Images/Getty Images
PFAS



‘FOREVER CHEMICAL’ EXPOSURE LINKED TO HIGHER CANCER ODDS IN WOMEN

New research finds evidence that exposure to PFAS and phenols increases odds of
certain ‘hormonally driven’ cancers for women


Carey Gillam
Mon 18 Sep 2023 00.01 EDTLast modified on Tue 19 Sep 2023 05.38 EDT
 * 
 * 
 * 



Women exposed to several widely used chemicals appear to face increased odds for
ovarian and other types of cancers, including a doubling of odds for melanoma,
according to new research funded by the US government.

Using data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a
team of academic researchers found evidence that women diagnosed with some
“hormonally driven” cancers had exposures to certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAS), which are used in thousands of household and industrial
products, including in stain- and heat-resistant items.


In our blood: how the US allowed toxic chemicals to seep into our lives
Read more

They found similar links between women diagnosed with cancer and high exposures
to phenols, which are commonly used in food packaging, dyes and personal care
products.



PFAS have been dubbed “forever chemicals” due to their longevity in the
environment.

The study, published late on Sunday in the Journal of Exposure Science and
Environmental Epidemiology, did not find similar associations between the
chemicals and cancer diagnoses in men.

PFAS chemicals, in particular, may disrupt hormone functions specific to women –
a potential mechanism for increasing their odds of hormone-related cancers, the
researchers determined. Hormonally active cancers are common and hard to cure,
making deeper inquiry into potential environmental causes critical, the
researchers said.

“People should care about this because we know that there is widespread human
exposure to these chemicals and we have documented data on that,” said Max Aung,
assistant professor of environmental health at the USC Keck School of Medicine
and a senior author of the study.

“These chemicals can increase the risk of various different health outcomes and
they can alter your biological pathways … That is important to know so that we
can better prevent exposures and mitigate risks,” Aung said.

It’s nearly impossible to avoid exposure to PFAS, because the chemicals are so
widespread in the environment. Sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they
do not naturally break down, PFAS residues can persist in water, soil, air and
food. An estimated 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood, according to the
CDC. The US Geological Survey (USGS), a unit of the US Department of Interior,
says that 45% of US drinking water is contaminated with PFAS.

Notably, the research team found differences in women from different racial
groups – links between PFAS and ovarian and uterine cancers were seen mainly in
white women, while associations between chemicals known as phenols and breast
cancer were seen largely in non-white women.



The researchers said it was not clear exactly why such differences exist, but
could be due to dietary habits and proximity to contaminated drinking water
sources, among other factors.

The new study is based on analysis of data collected through a CDC biomonitoring
program from 2005 to 2018 involving more than 10,000 people. Researchers looked
at prior cancer diagnoses and levels of PFAS and phenols in blood and urine
collected from study participants.

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The researchers said the data showed that women with higher exposure to a
long-chained PFAS compound called PFDE had double the odds of having a prior
melanoma diagnosis, while women with higher exposure to two other long-chained
PFAS compounds, PFNA and PFUA, had nearly double the odds of a prior melanoma
diagnosis. Researchers said they also found a link between PFNA and uterine
cancer.

The work does not prove that exposure to PFAS and phenols led to these cancer
diagnoses, the researchers said, but is a strong sign that the chemicals play a
role and should be studied further.

The study is part of ongoing research funded by the National Institutes of
Environmental Health to “better understand” how PFAS chemicals are affecting
human health. There are thousands of different types of PFAS, and research on
their health effects is still evolving, though certain types of PFAS have
already been linked through prior scientific research to multiple health
problems including cancer, decreased fertility and kidney disease.

In addition to Aung, the study was conducted by researchers affiliated with the
Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at the University of
California, San Francisco; the University of Southern California; and the
University of Michigan.

This article was amended on 19 September 2023. An earlier version referred to
USC Kreck School of Medicine instead of USC Keck School of Medicine.

This story is co-published with the New Lede, a journalism project of the
Environmental Working Group

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