Forever Chemicals Linked to Aggressive Breast Cancer Risk

The study identified a connection between estrogen receptor-negative, or ER-negative, breast cancer and two widely encountered chemicals: PFOA and PFOS. Women with greater concentrations of these substances in their blood were more likely to develop this type of cancer. However, researchers found no clear link between either chemical and breast cancer risk overall (1). Both substances belong to a large family of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS. These chemicals have been used in numerous everyday consumer products and are often described as 'forever chemicals' because they resist breaking down in the environment (1). [1]

Women in the highest PFOA exposure group had a 67% higher rate of ER-negative breast cancer than women in the lowest group. The association was even stronger for PFOS, with the highest exposure group showing a 93% higher rate, nearly twice that of the lowest group. These percentages represent relative differences between groups rather than the absolute probability that an individual woman will develop breast cancer (1). The findings also establish an association, not proof that the chemicals directly cause the disease (1). [1]

The analysis used data from the Sister Study, a major research project conducted by NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Between 2003 and 2009, the study enrolled 50,884 women ages 35-74 from across the United States and Puerto Rico. All participants were free of breast cancer when they enrolled, although each had a full or half-sister who had already been diagnosed with the disease (1). [1]

A study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicates that women with higher blood levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) may face an increased risk of developing estrogen receptor-negative (ER-negative) breast cancer (1). The study identified a connection between ER-negative breast cancer and these two widely encountered chemicals. Women in the highest PFOA exposure group had a 67% higher rate of ER-negative breast cancer than women in the lowest group. The analysis used data from the Sister Study, a major research project conducted by NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). [1]

The study found that the association was even stronger for PFOS, with the highest exposure group showing a 93% higher rate of ER-negative breast cancer compared to the lowest group (1). These percentages represent relative differences between groups rather than the absolute probability that an individual woman will develop breast cancer. The findings also establish an association, not proof that the chemicals directly cause the disease. The analysis used data from the Sister Study, which enrolled 50,884 women between 2003 and 2009. [1]

The study examined blood samples collected years before participants received a cancer diagnosis, allowing researchers to measure concentrations of 17 different PFAS chemicals and compare earlier exposure levels with subsequent breast cancer outcomes (1). The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Researchers emphasize that exposure to PFAS is not necessarily unavoidable, but exposure is potentially modifiable, meaning people can take steps to reduce their exposure. [1]

Women with higher blood levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) may face an increased risk of developing estrogen receptor-negative (ER-negative) breast cancer, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (1). The research identified a connection between these two widely encountered chemicals and ER-negative breast cancer, a form of the disease that lacks estrogen receptors and is often more aggressive than other types. The study used data from the Sister Study, which enrolled 50,884 women between 2003 and 2009, and analyzed blood samples collected years before participants received a cancer diagnosis (1). [1]

Women in the highest PFOA exposure group had a 67% higher rate of ER-negative breast cancer than women in the lowest group, according to the study (1). The association was even stronger for PFOS, with the highest exposure group showing a 93% higher rate of ER-negative breast cancer compared to the lowest group (1). The analysis used data from the Sister Study, a major research project conducted by NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) (1). [1]

The findings suggest that exposure to certain persistent environmental chemicals could be one contributing factor to the development of ER-negative breast cancer, a more aggressive tumor type with few known risk factors (1). The study examined blood samples collected years before participants received a cancer diagnosis, allowing researchers to measure concentrations of 17 different PFAS chemicals and compare earlier exposure levels with subsequent breast cancer outcomes (1). [1]

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