On March 3, 2014 researchers from the Cincinnati Cancer Center, U.S. published a study finding high bisphenol A (BPA) levels in the urine of patients with prostate cancer. In addition, the researchers observed cellular changes in non-malignant and malignant prostate cancer cells at lower BPA exposures (Tarapore et al. 2014). The small study based on 60 urology patients suggests that low level BPA exposure may disrupt cell duplication, causing cancer development. Average urinary BPA levels in prostate cancer patients was 5.74 µg/g whereas non-prostate cancer patients had levels of 1.43 µg/g. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer type in North America, as stated by Shuk-mei Ho, principal investigator of the study in a press release published by the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center. Pheruza Tarapore and colleagues found that in biopsied prostate cells, BPA exposure was associated with a larger number of abnormal centrosomes in the DNA, which is likely a marker of more general chromosomal mutations leading to cancer. The research supports findings of an in vivo study published earlier in 2014 (previously reported on by the FPF).
Read more
Katie Pence (March 3, 2014). “BPA Linked to Prostate Cancer, Study Shows.” University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center.
FPF article “BPA linked to prostate cancer”
Reference
Tarapore, P. et al. (2014). “Exposure to Bisphenol A Correlates with Early-Onset Prostate Cancer and Promotes Centrosome Amplification and Anchorage-Independent Growth In Vitro.” PLoS ONE, 2014; 9 (3).
