Common ‘forever chemicals’ found in food and tap water could cause cancer to SPREAD in the body

Common “forever chemicals” lurking in tap water and hundreds of everyday products can cause cancer cells to spread quickly in the body, making the disease harder to treat, a new study suggests.

Numerous studies have shown that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are linked to multiple forms of cancer, but now researchers have discovered that the substances may also be linked to the spread of the disease.

A study by Yale researchers found that colon cancer cells exposed to PFAS showed signs of metastasis: cancer migrating to different parts of the body.

This raised concerns because cancer becomes more difficult to treat as the disease spreads.

Researchers said the cancer cells showed signs of spreading – or attempting to migrate to new parts of the body – when exposed to levels of PFAS like those in the blood of firefighters (stock image)

Nearly every person in the US – 97 percent – ​​has detectable levels of PFAS chemicals in their blood, studies have shown.

The chemicals are virtually ubiquitous in the environment because they are nearly impossible to break down. They are therefore considered 'forever chemicals'.

They are used in products for their non-stick and anti-stain properties, especially in kitchen utensils and fabrics, but industries are now moving away from them due to their harmful effects.

Studies have shown that exposure to the substances – especially in high concentrations – increases the risk of cancer because the chemicals disrupt cell metabolism – or the chemical reactions carried out by cells to keep them alive and help them divide into new ones. cells.

PFAS has previously been linked to kidney cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer, among others.

In addition to being linked to cancer, the Yale article was published in the journal this month Environmental sciences and technologyis the first to show that they can also cause cancer to spread more quickly, especially colon cancer.

America is in the grip of a rise in colon cancer rates among young adults.

Nearly double the number of people under the age of 55 are now diagnosed with cancer compared to a decade ago – at a rate of 60 cases per 100,000 people in the age group per year.

For the study, researchers used two types of colon cancer cells: a 'wild type' and a type with a KRAS mutation.

KRAS is a gene that belongs to a group of genes called oncogenes, which have the potential to turn into cancerous tumors.

It is known that approximately 30 to 50 percent of colorectal tumors have a mutated KRAS gene.

However, some people are diagnosed with KRAS wild-type colon cancer, meaning there is no KRAS mutation in a person's cancer.

Colon cancer with the KRAS mutation is more deadly because a mutation in this gene promotes cancer metastasis, or the spread of cancer to other parts of the body where new tumors form.

Researchers experimented with two types of PFAS – 2 μM, or micrometers, long – and 10 μM long – a level often seen in firefighters.

Firefighters have higher levels of PFAS in their blood because they are regularly exposed to the chemicals through the foam they use.

And studies show that firefighters also have a 21 percent higher risk of colon cancer.

For part of the study, both types of cells were formed into spherical clumps, placed in petri dishes and exposed to PFAS chemicals for seven days.

The results showed that the colon cancer cells showed signs of spreading when exposed to PFAS at 10 µm.

Dr. Caroline Johnson, an epidemiologist at Yale who was involved in the study, said: 'It doesn't prove that they are metastases, but they have increased motility, which is a hallmark of metastases.'

The scientists said PFAS may cause cancer cells to spread because it disrupts their metabolism, or the chemical processes that keep them alive – which could accelerate their growth and promote spread to new areas in the body.

The scientists said they saw no unusual growth in the cells exposed to 2µm long PFAS, which experts say is less likely to disrupt the cells.

The study also included a second test in which colon cancer cells were grown in a flat layer in a petri dish.

Scientists then created a line in the middle of the layer to create two separate sides. The cells were exposed to 10 µm PFAS for seven days.

This also showed that under firefighter levels of PFAS, the separated colon cancer cells began to grow back together, which the scientists also said indicated metastasis.

Dr. Johnson added: 'Many in vitro studies cannot be translated to humans.

'But I think it is important to first understand the mechanisms that determine how they can actually influence the growth of cancer cells.'

The scientists said they now plan to test the colon cancer cells by exposing them to lower concentrations of PFAS to understand whether this had the same effect.