Thyroid cancer only represents about 2% of new cases in the United States each year and is ranked 12th among cancers overall. Our community is less likely to be diagnosed with the disease than other races and ethnicities (Asian/Pacific Islanders, White, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaskan Native women are more likely to be diagnosed than Black women). But a recent study published by eBioMedicine revealed that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAs or forever chemicals, can be endocrine disruptors that may increase our odds of developing thyroid cancer.
The study analyzed PFA exposure of patients already diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It found “that adults had a higher likelihood of developing thyroid cancer with greater exposure to linear PFOS, and increased risks for thyroid cancer were observed with exposure to five types of PFAS for adults diagnosed more than one year after plasma samples were collected.”
Why is this Important for Us to Know?
According to research from Harvard, our community and Hispanics are more likely to be exposed to PFAs in our drinking water. The findings were published in Environmental Science and Technology. “Our work suggests that the sociodemographic groups that are often stressed by other factors, including marginalization, racism, and poverty, are also more highly exposed to PFAS in drinking water,” said first author Jahred Liddie, a Ph.D. student in population health sciences at Harvard Chan School. “Environmental justice is a major emphasis of the current administration, and this work shows it should be considered in the upcoming regulations for PFAS in drinking water.” And the researchers of the thyroid study want to bring attention to including these chemicals in other products that may increase our exposure.
One thing you can do now is to invest in a filter to remove PFAs from your drinking water. We suggest checking out those the Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommended. Although our risk may be low, if you have a family history of thyroid disease or cancer, talk to your healthcare professional about screenings.
