NIH Analysis Links Two “Forever Chemicals” to Increased Risk of Aggressive Breast Cancer

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Higher blood concentrations of PFOA and PFOS were associated with increased incidence of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, but not with overall breast cancer risk.
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Compared with women with the lowest PFOA concentrations, those with the highest concentrations had a 67% higher rate of ER-negative breast cancer; the corresponding PFOS rate was 93% higher.
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The analysis included 1,609 women who developed breast cancer and 2,269 comparison participants from the Sister Study, whose members had a sister with breast cancer.
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Researchers measured 17 PFAS in blood samples collected years before participants received breast cancer diagnoses.
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The authors proposed nonhormonal mechanisms as possible explanations, but did not examine them and called for further research, including on newer PFAS replacements.

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