Thyroid cancer and endocrine disruptive chemicals: a case–control study on per-fluoroalkyl substances and other persistent organic pollutants
Authors' conclusion
Our study suggests, for the first time in a case-control population, that exposure to some PFAS and PCBs associates with TC and some clinical and molecular features. On the contrary, an inverse correlation was found with both PFHxS and pollutants' mixture, likely due to a potential reverse causality.
Study context
- Population
- Italian thyroid cancer (TC) patients and sex- and age-matched controls without known thyroid diseases
- Participants
- 112 vs 112
- Comparison
- Serum endocrine disruptive chemicals in TC cases vs controls
- TCn = 112
- Controlsn = 112reference
- Outcome
- Association between TC and serum levels of endocrine disruptive chemicals (PFAS, PCBs, DDT and DDE), considered individually or as mixture
Methodological detailssex- and age-matched controls
- Sex- and age-matched controls
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Association of pollutants with TC
Odds ratio (95% CI)P value
PFDA detectionpositive association with TC
2.03(1.10–3.75)
P = 0.02PFHxS levelsnegative association with TC
0.63(0.41–0.98)
P = 0.04Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Thyroiditis and presurgical thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) positively associated with thyroiditis
- PFHxS and PFOS associated with higher presurgical TSH
Tumour aggressiveness and size
- PFHxS, PFOS, PFNA and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) correlated with less aggressive TC
- PCB-105 and PCB-118 correlated with larger and more aggressive tumours
BRAF V600E mutation
- BRAF V600E mutations associated with PCB-153, PCB-138 and PCB-180
Original publication
Thyroid cancer and endocrine disruptive chemicals: a case–control study on per-fluoroalkyl substances and other persistent organic pollutants. Eur Thyroid J. Published 20 May 2024. doi:10.
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