Almost all prostate cancer tumours have been contaminated by microplastics—and the pollutants could be driving cases. Prostate cancer tumour tissue contained about 2.5 times more plastic than nearby healthy prostate tissue.
Researchers at New York University Langone Health have discovered tiny plastic particles in nine out of 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer, and the microparticles have clustered in the cancerous cells. They were also present in around 70 percent of benign prostate cases.
The researchers aren’t sure how, or if, the microparticles causer cancer, but they think they may trigger a prolonged inflammatory immune response in prostate tissue. Over time, chronic inflammation can damage cells and cause genetic changes that lead to cancer.
Around one in eight men will develop the cancer.
Plastic materials used in food packaging, cosmetics, and many everyday products can break down into microscopic fragments when heated, worn down, or chemically processed. These particles can enter the body through food, breathing contaminated air, or contact with the skin. Previous research has detected microplastics in nearly every organ, as well as in bodily fluids and even the placenta.
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