Everyday plastic exposure could increase prostate cancer risk, scientists warn – as cases climb
Everyday contact with plastic – from food packaging and cosmetics to household items – may pose a hidden risk to men’s health, scientists have warned, after plastic particles were found inside prostate cancer tumours.
New research suggests that tiny fragments known as microplastics can build up inside the prostate, with significantly higher levels detected in cancerous tissue than in healthy areas of the organ.
While experts stress the findings are early and do not prove cause and effect, they add to growing concern about how widespread plastic exposure may affect the body over time, particularly as prostate cancer diagnoses have increased in recent years.
The study, carried out by researchers at leading US medical centre NYU Langone Health, analysed prostate tissue taken from 10 men undergoing surgery to remove the entire gland as part of their cancer treatment.
Scientists found microplastics in the tumours of nine out of ten patients. Plastic particles were also detected in nearby non-cancerous prostate tissue, but in much lower amounts.
On average, cancerous samples contained around 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue, compared with 16 micrograms per gram in healthy prostate tissue – roughly two-and-a-half times more.
Researchers say the findings raise important questions about whether long-term exposure to plastic could contribute to cancer risk, particularly in organs that may be vulnerable to chronic inflammation.
Microplastics are tiny fragments formed when larger plastic items break down over time through heat, wear, sunlight or chemical treatment.
Sir Chris Hoy, 49, revealed in October 2023 that he had been diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer after initially seeking medical advice for unexplained shoulder pain
They come from sources such as food packaging, takeaway containers, cosmetics bottles, synthetic clothing fibres and household products.
People can ingest microplastics through food and drinking water, inhale them from the air, or absorb them through the skin.
Previous studies have already detected microplastics throughout the human body, including in blood, lungs, liver, heart and even the placenta. However, exactly how they affect health remains poorly understood.
In the latest study, researchers used specialised equipment to visually examine prostate tissue samples before analysing them to determine both the amount and chemical composition of plastic present.
The team focused on 12 of the most common plastic polymers found in everyday consumer products.
To avoid contaminating the samples – a major challenge in microplastic research – the scientists took extensive precautions.
Plastic tools were avoided entirely, replaced with equipment made from aluminium, cotton and other non-plastic materials. Samples were handled in highly controlled clean rooms designed specifically for microplastic analysis.
Dr Stacy Loeb, the study’s lead author, said: ‘Our pilot study provides important evidence that microplastic exposure may be a risk factor for prostate cancer.’
She added that while earlier research had hinted at links between microplastics and other illnesses, ‘there had been little direct evidence connecting the substances to prostate cancer.’
The study was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary Cancers Symposium and is the first of its kind in the West to directly compare microplastic levels in prostate tumours with those in healthy prostate tissue.
Senior author Vittorio Albergamo, said: ‘By uncovering yet another potential health concern posed by plastic, our findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory measures to limit the public’s exposure to these substances, which are everywhere in the environment.’
He added that the team plans to examine what microplastics do inside the body and how they might lead to cancer development.
One possibility they will explore, he said, is that the particles ‘may prompt an overactive immune response in the tissue, which over time can damage cells and trigger genetic changes that cause cancer cells to form.’
However, researchers stressed that the study was small and observational, meaning it cannot show that microplastics cause prostate cancer.
Larger studies involving more patients will be needed to confirm the findings and explore whether plastic exposure plays a direct role.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, with around 55,000 new cases and more than 12,000 deaths each year in the UK.
In the United States, there are around 300,000 new cases annually, and more than 35,000 men die from the disease each year.
On average, about one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, and risk rises sharply with age, particularly after 50.
However, experts have warned that diagnoses have increased in recent years, with a growing number of cases being detected in younger men, sometimes at more advanced stages of the disease.
The disease has been thrust into the public spotlight in recent years following high-profile diagnoses, including Sir Chris Hoy, 49, who revealed in October 2023 that he had been diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer after initially seeking medical advice for unexplained shoulder pain.
Both in the UK and US, incidence increases with age, and survival rates are high when the disease is detected early. However, because many cases are diagnosed at later stages or in older men, prostate cancer remains a major public health concern.
The researchers say their work adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that plastics – now ubiquitous in the modern environment – may carry previously unrecognised health risks.
