A new study examined the correlation between liver cancer and the presence of “forever” chemicals, which are used in a variety of household products.
People with the highest levels of exposure to these chemicals have 350% greater odds of eventually developing liver cancer.
The term “forever” chemicals refers to the more than 4,700 available types of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, used widely across manufacturing industries.
The chemical is named "forever" chemicals because the substances degrade very slowly and build up over time, in soil, drinking water and in the body.
PFAS were first introduced in the 1930s as a revolutionary material used in the creation of nonstick cookware.
Soon, PFAS were adapted to all sorts of products and packaging — from construction materials to cosmetics due to its liquid and fire-resistant properties.
Though incredibly useful, such chemicals have since been linked to the onset of cancer and other illnesses in lab animals.
The current study, published in JHEP Reports, is the first to show a clear association between any PFAS and nonviral hepatocellular carcinoma (the most common type of liver cancer) in humans, too.
Jesse GoodrichResearcher at Keck School of Medicine
“Liver cancer is one of the most serious endpoints in liver disease and this is the first study in humans to show that PFAS are associated with this disease.”
Veronica Wendy SetiawanKeck School of Medicine professor
“Part of the reason there has been few human studies is because you need the right samples. When you are looking at an environmental exposure, you need samples from well before a diagnosis because it takes time for cancer to develop.”
Their search was narrowed to 100 survey participants — 50 of them with liver cancer and 50 without — whose available blood and tissue samples were sufficient for analysis. Researchers were looking for traces of “forever” chemicals present in the body before the group with cancer became ill.
Swipe up to read more on the research found in this study.