Study links microplastics to prostate cancer risk

The research was conducted at NYU Langone Health, including its Perlmutter Cancer Center and the Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards. Scientists examined whether microplastic exposure could play a role in the development of prostate cancer, which the American Cancer Society identifies as the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States.

Higher plastic concentration in tumors

Researchers analyzed prostate tissue from 10 men who underwent prostate removal surgery. Microplastic particles were present in 90% of malignant samples and 70% of noncancerous tissues. Notably, tumor samples contained approximately 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue—about 2.5 times higher than the 16 micrograms per gram detected in healthy tissue.

Lead author Stacy Loeb, a professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, described the findings as preliminary but significant. “Our pilot study provides important evidence that microplastic exposure may be a risk factor for prostate cancer,” she said, emphasizing that this is the first Western-based study to quantify microplastics in prostate tumors and compare them directly with noncancerous tissue.

Public health implications

Microplastics originate from the breakdown of plastics used in food packaging, cosmetics and household goods. These particles can enter the body through ingestion, inhalation or skin contact. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in eight men in the US will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, underscoring the importance of identifying potential environmental risk factors.

Researchers caution that larger studies are needed to determine whether the presence of microplastics directly contributes to cancer development or reflects broader environmental exposure patterns.