In an article published on August 15, 2017 by news provider U.S. News, writer Elaine K. Howley discusses whether exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can elevate the risk of developing breast cancer. She starts out by noting that “breast cancer is considered a disease of aging;” however, “exposure to certain compounds in the environment while we’re still developing in the womb could flip the switch that turns mutated cells into breast cancer later in life.” She further explains that EDCs can block or mimic hormones in the body and thus disrupt the body’s hormonal balance. According to Ana Soto, professor of integrative physiology and pathobiology at Tufts University Medical School in Boston, U.S., this imbalance could result in the development of cancer later in life, because “chemicals that affect mammary gland development may also increase the propensity to develop breast cancer.” As examples of EDCs, Howley highlights the synthetic estrogens diethylstilbestrol (DES, CAS 56-53-1), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT, CAS 50-29-3), and bisphenol A (BPA, CAS 80-05-7). BPA is used in rigid plastics (e.g. polycarbonate (PC)) and in food can coatings, Howley informs. Therefore, “eating fewer canned foods, selecting products labeled ‘BPA-free’ and using a glass, steel or ceramic water bottle rather than single-use plastic water bottles may also help you reduce your exposure to these chemicals,” she suggests. In addition to trying to avoid exposure, Ana Soto recommends contacting governments and regulators to demand action against the continued use of EDCs.

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Elaine K. Howley (August 15, 2017). “Can endocrine disruptors elevate risk of breast cancer?U.S. News

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