Exposure to PFAS Linked to Increased Rate of Thyroid Cancer

TUESDAY, Oct. 24, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is associated with an increased rate of thyroid cancer, according to a study published online Oct. 24 in eBioMedicine.

Maaike van Gerwen, M.D., Ph.D., from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and colleagues examined associations between plasma PFAS levels and thyroid cancer diagnosis using a nested case-control study of patients with thyroid cancer. Eighty-eight patients with thyroid cancer (74 with papillary thyroid cancer) and 88 healthy controls pair-matched on sex, age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, smoking status, and year of sample collection were identified. Associations between individual PFAS levels and thyroid cancer were assessed.

The researchers found that per doubling of linear perfluorooctanesulfonic acid intensity, the rate of thyroid cancer diagnosis was significantly increased (adjusted odds ratio, 1.56); similar results were obtained when including the 74 patients with papillary thyroid cancer (adjusted odds ratio, 1.56). In a subset analysis examining exposure timing, including 31 thyroid cancer cases diagnosed at least one year after plasma collection, the positive association persisted (adjusted odds ratio, 2.67).

“Thyroid cancer risk from PFAS exposure is a global concern given the prevalence of PFAS exposure in our world,” Gerwen said in a statement. “This study provides critical evidence to support large-scale studies further exploring the effect of PFAS exposure on the thyroid gland.”

One author is cofounder of Linus Biotechnology. A second author has 22 patents at various stages.

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