Study Reveals Link Between Forever Chemicals and Childhood Cancers

WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2025 (HealthDay News) — There appears to be a connection between prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) serum concentrations and some childhood cancers, according to a study published online in the February issue of Environmental Epidemiology.

Natalie R. Binczewski, from the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues investigated associations between PFAS and childhood cancers. The analysis included geocoded residences at birth linked to corresponding water district boundaries for 10,220 California-born children (aged 0 to 15 years) diagnosed with cancer (2000 to 2015) and 29,974 healthy controls.

The researchers found suggestive associations between perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and nonastrocytoma gliomas (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.26; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.99 to 1.60), acute myeloid leukemia (aOR, 1.14; 95 percent CI, 0.94 to 1.39), Wilms tumors (aOR, 1.15; 95 percent CI, 0.96 to 1.38), and noncentral system embryonal tumors (aOR, 1.07; 95 percent CI, 0.98 to 1.17), as well as between perfluorooctanoic acid and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (aOR, 1.19; 95 percent CI, 0.95 to 1.49). There was a significantly increased risk for Wilms tumor and noncentral system embryonal tumors among children of Mexico-born mothers.

“While these results do not confirm that PFAS exposure directly causes childhood cancers, they add to a growing body of evidence highlighting potential health risks,” Binczewski said in a statement. “Further studies are needed to confirm and better understand these associations, but this research underscores the importance of clean drinking water and continued regulatory efforts to protect public health.”

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