Exposure to Plasticizer Chemicals Increases Breast Cancer Risk in Women: Study

Frequent exposure to plasticizers increases risk of developing breast cancer, warns a study.

Chemicals like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates esters and other polymers are blended with plastic to make it more flexible and long-lasting. These chemicals called as dispersants or plasticizers can be lethal to the body in high doses but are used in the manufacture of tubes, hoses, pipes, plastic curtains, toys, wires and accessories. Experts from the Academia Sinica, National Health Research Institute and National Taiwan University Hospital recommend women to limit their exposure to these substances to prevent breast cancer, reports the Focus Taiwan.

Their research involved 12,000 women living in Taiwan and after certain years of follow-up almost 128 of them developed breast cancer. The researchers examined their urine samples to record their level of exposure to plasticizing chemicals and compared it to 251 women with the disease. They found over-exposure to plasticizers increased breast cancer risk by 1.9 times and in participants with low-metabolism, the disease susceptibility surged by 3.4 times.

Plasticizing chemicals when accidentally consumed by the body cause hormonal imbalance and oxidation during metabolic activities. These can cause genetic mutations that induce the growth of cancer cells and tumors. However, the study found the chemicals produce compounds inside the kidneys that hamper body' metabolism in just a day after exposure. These harmful substances can be expunged from the body as waste by drinking enough water.

Breast cancer incidence in Taiwan for those aged over 50 is equivalent to the figures seen in progressive countries in Europe and America, reports the China Post.

The authors suggest women who are regularly exposed to these materials to drink sufficient amount of water and undergo early screening tests for breast cancer to avoid death and disease complications.