The endocrine disruptors They are chemical substances that can alter the hormonal system of the human body and cause it to malfunction, which is why they can cause various diseases. They act as xenoestrogens and are found in many industrial chemicals including Pesticides and herbicidesapart from cosmetics and other everyday items.
A new study published today in the journal Environmental health perspectivesshows the connection between these environmental pollutants and the Endometrial cancer, a type of tumor that develops inside the uterus. With more than 5,000 new cases per year in Spain, it has a major impact on women’s health.
This work was carried out under the leadership of IDIBELL, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Granada and the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada examined the total hormone levels in the blood of more than 300 womenwith and without endometrial cancer, through advanced chemical analysis techniques and biological tests.
“Using these biological tests helps understand the negative effects of chemical mixtures,” he says. Marieta FernandezProfessor at the University of Granada and principal investigator of the research.
“It is interesting that we found this association with medium doses of xenoestrogens, but not with high ones, similar to what was observed with endogenous hormones,” he explains. Laura CostasResearcher at IDIBELL and the Catalan Institute of Oncology and first author.
Investigation group. / IDIBELL
Public health implications
This research reveals the negative effects of endocrine disruptors and, according to scientists, has significant public health implications. Furthermore, the results highlight the need to consider the combined effect of chemical mixtures at the time of investigation Environmental risk assessment.
“This connection is certainly related to the nature of the tumor itself, since it is a hormone-dependent cancer like the endometrium. Therefore, we want to analyze whether the presence of xenoestrogens would mean a worse development of the pathology in the women who already suffer from the disease,” concludes Costas.
Reference:
Costas L. et al: “Total effective xenoestrogen exposure in serum samples and risk of endometrial cancer in the Spanish screenwide case-control study.” Environmental health perspective 2024