Microplastics discovered in 9 out of 10 prostate cancer patients enrolled in small pilot study

In a small, single-center study led by NYU Langone Health researchers, tissue samples from 10 prostate cancer patients were evaluated. Microplastics were found in samples from nine out of the 10 patients. 

Researchers studied both tumor tissue and noncancerous tissue samples from each patient. According to an NYU press release, "the research team identified plastic particles in 90 percent of tumor samples and 70 percent of benign tissue samples," with the cancerous tissue found to contain "on average 2.5 times" the amount of microplastic material as the noncancerous tissue tested.

The findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal but were presented last week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. There, lead author Stacy Loeb spoke with the Urology Times, cautioning against drawing conclusions prematurely.

"While it's too early to conclude anything from this data — like that microplastics are involved in prostate cancer development — nevertheless, I think it is still scary that they're in so many prostates," Loeb told the outlet. "Literally pieces of water bottle are in the prostate tumor. So it seems like this couldn't be a good thing." 

Urology professor Michael Eisenberg of the Stanford University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the NYU study, said much of the same. He told NBC News that the new findings don't prove a causal relationship between microplastics and prostate cancer but that "we are finding many signals about the astonishing prevalences of micro/nanoplastics and the concerning associations with health problems."

The science investigating the potential human health impacts of microplastics is still emerging, so experts like Eisenberg and Loeb have called for continued research.

Loeb told the Urology Times that she herself was inspired to pursue this latest study after coming across earlier research published in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that some carotid plaques contained microplastics.

As microplastics research advances, experts like Loeb have suggested mitigating exposure. 

Efforts like those based out of the U.N.-backed Women's Empowerment and Learning Center in Thailand's Trat Province, which collects plastic waste from fishing communities and transforms it into consumer goods, can help rid fragile ecosystems of the plastics that break down into smaller and smaller pieces over time and end up in the air, soil, water, and food systems.

Meanwhile, individuals, schools, and businesses can swap out single-use plastic water bottles for reusable glass or stainless steel alternatives, decline plastic shopping bags, reduce unnecessary use of plastic cutlery and packaging — and advocate for equitable access to these resources, including approved at-home water filters. 

The moderating approach of cutting back where possible — to reduce personal exposure but also harmful plastic waste in the environment — poses potential benefits. Certain uses of plastics are likely to remain essential for some time, while additional nonplastic options continue to be developed. These might include products for people with disabilities and critical medical supplies.

Researchers at NYU Langone Health took on a related challenge themselves, perhaps providing something of a model for cutting back on plastics. "To avoid contaminating the [tissue] samples with the many kinds of plastic in common medical and laboratory equipment," their press release explained, "the team substituted its tools with those made of aluminum, cotton, and other nonplastic material."