In a new study by researchers at the Yale School of
Public Health, two “forever chemicals” spurred cancer cells in the lab to
migrate to new positions, an indication that the chemicals could contribute to
cancer metastasis in living organisms.
The study addressed the group of industrial chemicals called per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The substances are known as “forever
chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment and can build
up in the human body. All have the ability to shed water and resist
penetration by oils. They are notorious for their ubiquity, their exceptional
environmental stability, and their suspected toxic effects.
“PFAS make up a prevalent class of persistent organic pollutants of
increasing public concern worldwide. They have been frequently detected in
the environment, such as in drinking water, indoor dust, cleaning products,
and coatings,” said co-first author Jie Zheng, a postdoctoral associate who
was working in the lab of principal investigator Caroline Johnson, associate
professor of epidemiology (environmental health sciences), at the time the
research was conducted.
No studies have addressed the relationship between PFAS and colorectal
carcinoma (CRC), Zheng explained. However, firefighters experience this
type of cancer at higher rates than the general population and they are
heavily exposed to PFAS at work. About 80% of CRC cases are thought to be
related to environmental exposure of some kind.
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