The findings in this high PFOA-exposed cohort provide additional epidemiologic evidence of increased kidney and testicular cancer risk, as well as new evidence of associations with thyroid and pancreatic cancers, which have important implications regarding understanding of the carcinogenic potential of PFOA and the cancer burden related to this ubiquitous environmental contaminant.
Abstract
Background
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been classified as a human carcinogen based partly on limited epidemiologic evidence of increased kidney and testicular cancer risk. We conducted an updated analysis of cancer incidence in a high PFOA-exposed cohort of community members and workers in the mid-Ohio Valley with follow-up extended by approximately 10 years on average and linkage to the Virtual Pooled Registry-Cancer Linkage System to better characterize risk of malignancies of a priori interest and to explore risk of other cancers.
Methods
Based on estimates of annual serum PFOA concentrations during 1952-2020, we evaluated associations between cumulative PFOA exposure and site-specific cancer incidence through 2020 among 32,050 participants (28,398 community members and 3,652 workers). Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for potential confounding factors.
Results
In the overall study population, we observed positive associations with kidney and testicular cancers. Associations with kidney cancer for high PFOA exposure were most pronounced among younger community members (≤60 years: HRQ4 = 1.82, 95% CI 1.02-3.26; Ptrend = 0.03) and those with localized disease (HRQ4 = 1.72, 95% CI 1.01-2.95; Ptrend = 0.17). High PFOA exposure was also associated with increased testicular cancer risk among community members (HRQ4 = 3.62, 95% CI 1.03-12.7; Ptrend = 0.12). We also observed positive associations with thyroid cancer, particularly among female participants, and with pancreatic cancer among older participants; notably, exposure-response relationships for both thyroid and pancreatic cancer were strongest among the more highly exposed workers (per 1-unit increase on the natural log scale, HRcont = 1.79, 95% CI 1.07-2.97; and HRcont = 1.70, 95% CI 1.08-2.67 for thyroid and pancreatic cancers, respectively).
Conclusions
Our findings in this high PFOA-exposed cohort provide additional epidemiologic evidence of increased kidney and testicular cancer risk, as well as new evidence of associations with thyroid and pancreatic cancers. These findings have important implications regarding our understanding of the carcinogenic potential of PFOA and the cancer burden related to this ubiquitous environmental contaminant.
It is suggested that higher plasma PFAS concentrations, particularly HFPO-DA, may be associated with more advanced TNM stage in colorectal cancer and warrant confirmation in larger prospective studies.
Ning Kang, Yang Zhao, Zhi Huang et al.· Frontiers in Toxicology· 1 citation
This pilot study provides some of the first estimates of PFAS exposure among prostate cancer patients in serum and tap water, showing moderate correlations between tap water and serum concentrations of specific PFAS analytes.
Stefanie A. Joseph, Chidinma Opara, Megan R. Shanahan et al.· medRxiv· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are possible carcinogens with widespread population exposure. Mammographic density (MD) is a biomarker of breast cancer risk that may offer important insights into potential mechanisms of breast carcinogenesis. Examining associations between PFAS exposure and MD may elucidate pathways by which PFASs could affect breast cancer risk. However, associations between PFAS exposure and MD remain poorly studied. We sought to evaluate associations of individual PFASs and their chemical mixture with percent mammographic density and dense breast area.
METHODS
We analyzed data from 186 postmenopausal, cancer-free women not currently using hormone therapy from the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank. Percent mammographic density (PMD) and dense breast area (DBA) were measured from digital mammography images taken near the time of blood sample donation. Serum PFAS concentrations were measured using online solid-phase extraction followed by high-pressure liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Associations were examined using multivariable linear regression and Quantile g-computation.
RESULTS
Participants had a mean age of 58.7 years and mean body mass index of 29.6 kg/m², and most were White (72.6%). The vast majority of mammograms were performed within 2 years of blood sample donation (88%). No statistically significant associations were observed with individual PFASs and either PMD or DBA in analyses adjusted for confounding variables. Quantile G-computation analyses did not identify a statistically significant effect of the PFAS mixture on PMD or DBA. Similar results were observed in analyses stratified by body mass index or breastfeeding history.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, our study did not identify strong and significant associations between a panel of major PFASs and MD.
Sabiha Nasrin, Youssef Oulhote, Philippe Grandjean et al.· Breast Cancer Research· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Parabens are widely used preservatives in personal care products and have demonstrated endocrine-disrupting and photosensitizing properties. However, their potential role in human skin carcinogenesis remains unclear.
METHODS
We analyzed a nationally representative sample of 9756 adults (aged 20-80) using data from the 2005-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the association between paraben exposure and skin cancer. Exposure was determined by urinary concentrations of butylparaben (BP), ethylparaben (EP), methylparaben (MP), and propylparaben (PP). Self-reported skin cancer diagnosis included melanoma, nonmelanoma, and unspecified types. Multivariate logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for skin cancer across quartiles of creatinine-adjusted urinary paraben concentrations, adjusting for sociodemographic and behavioral covariates.
RESULTS
Among the 9756 participants, 286 reported a skin cancer diagnosis between 2005 and 2016 (weighted prevalence: 4.03%). Individuals with a skin cancer diagnosis exhibited significantly higher urinary MP concentrations (geometric mean: 72.93 μg/g creatinine) compared to those without (52.98 μg/g creatinine; p = 0.0029). Individuals in the highest quartile (Q4) of urinary MP (≥ 242.01 μg/g) had significantly greater odds of total skin cancer (adjusted OR [aOR]: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.87) compared to the lowest quartile (Q1). Stratified analyses revealed significant associations with nonmelanoma skin cancer, whereas no significant associations were observed for melanoma. Specifically, those in Q4 for MP exhibited 1.69-fold higher odds of nonmelanoma skin cancer than those in Q1 (aOR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.20, 2.37).
CONCLUSION
Higher urinary MP concentrations were associated with increased nonmelanoma skin cancer prevalence among US adults. The findings suggest a potential role of long-term paraben exposure in skin carcinogenesis and warrant confirmation through prospective and mechanistic investigations.
Yudan Wei, S. E. Holder, Jianmin Zhu et al.· Cancer Epidemiology· 0 citations
Occupational PAH exposure is modestly associated with upper gastrointestinal cancer risk, particularly esophageal cancer, with higher risk estimates observed in high-exposure occupations.
M. S. Seyyedsalehi, Anna Vrtev, M. Lanza et al.· European Journal of Cancer P...· 0 citations
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a dietary mycotoxin classified as a Group 1 carcinogen and a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has seen limited biomarker-based evidence linking it to HCC in South America despite favorable regional contamination conditions. Utilizing a newly validated isotope-dilution HPLC–MS/MS method to quantify AFB1-Lysine (AFB1-Lys) adducts, we conducted a cross-sectional study involving 92 HCC patients and 70 healthy controls across six South American nations. The primary case–control analysis, focusing on 64 HCC patients and 70 controls from Argentina and Colombia, revealed that AFB1-Lys concentrations and positivity rates were significantly higher in HCC cases compared to controls (7.16 vs. 0.89 pg/mg albumin; 43% vs. 10%). Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that detectable AFB1-Lys was significantly and independently associated with HCC (adjusted OR = 3.72), with associations most pronounced, though based on small subgroups, in viral hepatitis-related and cryptogenic HCC. Furthermore, broader regional analysis indicated higher AFB1-Lys positivity rates in HBV-positive patients than in HCV-positive or non-viral HCC cases. Ultimately, chronic dietary aflatoxin exposure shows a consistent, statistically significant association with hepatocarcinogenesis across diverse etiological backgrounds in South America, highlighting an urgent need for integrated regional food safety surveillance and expanded prospective studies.
Ramón Asis, Marina Fernandez, Gustavo Bonacci et al.· Journal of Fungi· 0 citations