NIH Sister Study: Highest PFOA Levels Linked to a 67% Higher Rate of Aggressive Breast Cancer and PFOS to 93%, With No Clear Association Overall
Women with higher blood levels of two common "forever chemicals," PFOA and PFOS, were more likely to develop estrogen receptor-negative (ER-negative) breast cancer, according to a National Institutes of Health analysis released November 5. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, was carried out within the Sister Study, led by NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Researchers measured 17 PFAS in blood samples collected years before any cancer diagnosis. Women in the group with the highest PFOA levels had a 67% higher rate of ER-negative breast cancer than those in the lowest group; for PFOS the rate was 93% higher, nearly double. ER-negative tumors do not rely on estrogen to grow, tend to be more aggressive and cannot be treated with hormone therapy. The Sister Study enrolled 50,884 women ages 35 to 74 in the United States and Puerto Rico between 2003 and 2009, each of whom had a sister diagnosed with breast cancer.
The researchers emphasize two limits: the study found no clear association between the two chemicals and breast cancer risk overall, with the signal confined to the ER-negative subtype, and the design is observational, showing an association rather than proof of cause, so the findings need confirmation in other populations. (Source: National Institutes of Health)
Source: National Institutes of Health
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Wikimedia Commons「A group of scientists working in a laboratory Esculab.jpg」（Esculab 摄，CC0），图中为实验室里的科研人员 Image: Wikimedia Commons "A group of scientists working in a laboratory Esculab.jpg" (by Esculab, CC0), Scientists at work in a laboratory
