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A recent study published by the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology has found that women exposed to several widely used chemicals appear to face a higher chance of ovarian and other types of cancers.
The research suggests that women diagnosed with some “hormonally driven” cancers had exposure to certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are used in thousands of household and industrial products. This also included in stain- and heat-resistant items. PFAS are also referred to ‘forever chemicals’ because they are very resistant to degradation in the environment.
The study highlights a link between women diagnosed with cancer and high exposures to phenols, which are commonly used in food packaging, dyes and personal care products.
However, no such link was found between the chemical and cancer diagnoses in men.
The research mentions a link between PFAS and ovarian and uterine cancers in white women, while associations between phenols and breast cancer were seen largely in non-white women.
It was further found that higher exposure to PFDE (a PFAS compound) had double the odds of a previous melanoma diagnosis, particularly for women.
The study is based on the analysis of data collected through a CDC biomonitoring programme between 2005 to 2018 and consisted of more than 10,000 people.
The study did not conclude that these chemicals lead to the cancer diagnoses but researchers said that future studies should focus on the role of these hormone-disrupting chemicals on melanoma and ovarian cancers.
