Microplastics Detected in Prostate Tumor Samples

Microplastics were detected in prostate tissue from nearly all patients undergoing prostate cancer surgery in a small proof-of-concept study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. Researchers also observed higher concentrations of microplastics in tumor tissue compared with benign tissue from the same prostate.

In this exclusive MedPage Today video, Stacy Loeb, MD, of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, discusses the early findings and what they may mean for future research on environmental exposures and prostate cancer.

Following is a transcript of her remarks:

We examined whether microplastics are found in prostate tissue from patients with prostate cancer undergoing prostate surgery. We looked at 10 patients and found microplastics in 9 of the 10 patients’ prostates.

What was most interesting and surprising about the findings is that there were higher concentrations of microplastics in tumor tissue compared to benign tissue from the opposite side of the prostate.

We have a grant from the Department of Defense, so this is just the very beginning of this work. We’re continuing to analyze more specimens, which will be very important, so we can look at a larger number of cases than just 10 patients. This will also allow us to look at any differences based on the grade of the tumor.

We’re also very interested in looking at possible mechanisms. So part of our funding is to look at immunostains to look at inflammation because one possible mechanism for cancer development could be that if microplastics are associated with more inflammation in the tissue, that could be a potential mechanism. So that’s something else that we’re planning to do over the next year.

This is very early data. This is just the first 10 cases. So while it’s certainly provocative that the levels of microplastics were higher in the tumor than the benign tissue, it would be early to conclude whether there’s any association with prostate cancer.

Nevertheless, I think this is the beginning of this new area of research to really try to define better what are the health impacts of microplastics, which are so ubiquitous. So I think, bottom line, the jury is still out on whether it is truly linked with prostate cancer, but still I think that all of us for many reasons could think about how we may want to reduce our reliance on plastics.