A new study has found microplastics in nine out of 10 prostate cancer tumours as researchers discovered that these tiny particles were present in higher levels inside tumours than in nearby noncancerous tissue.
The research team from NYU Langone Health in the United States explored whether exposure to microplastics could contribute to the development of prostate cancer, which is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in adult males aged 45 years and over, according to the NHS.
Experts have found that when plastic from food packaging, cosmetics, and other sources is used, heated, or chemically treated, it can break down into smaller pieces and become ingested.
People are also exposed to plastics by inhaling them from the air and by absorbing them through the skin.
Previous studies have identified these microplastics in nearly every human organ, as well as in body fluids and the placenta. However, how they may affect human health has remained poorly understood, NYU says.
The researchers examined prostate tissue collected from 10 patients undergoing surgery to remove the gland.
Plastic particles were identified in 90 per cent of tumour samples and in 70 per cent of benign prostate tissue samples.
The difference in concentration was notable, the experts said. On average, tumour samples contained about 2.5 times more plastic than healthy tissue (about 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue compared with 16 micrograms per gram).
“Our pilot study provides important evidence that microplastic exposure may be a risk factor for prostate cancer,” said study lead author Stacy Loeb, MD, a professor in the NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Departments of Urology and Population Health.
According to Dr. Loeb, although early data had suggested a link between microplastics and other health conditions such as heart disease and dementia, there had been little direct evidence connecting the substances to prostate cancer.
“By uncovering yet another potential health concern posed by plastic, our findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory measures to limit the public’s exposure to these substances, which are everywhere in the environment,” study senior author Vittorio Albergamo added.
Dr. Albergamo said that the research team next plans to examine what microplastics do in the body and how they might lead to cancer development.
A possibility they plan to explore, he noted, is that the particles may prompt an overactive immune response, such as inflammation, in the tissue, which over time can damage cells and trigger genetic changes that cause cancer cells to form.
In the UK, about one in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime.
