A YSPH Study found that two “forever chemicals” promoted cancer cell migration, suggesting these chemicals could contribute to cancer metastasis in living organisms.

The group of industrial chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known for their persistence in the environment and potential toxicity, are commonly found in drinking water, dust, and consumer products. All can shed water and resist penetration by oils. They are notorious for their ubiquity, their exceptional environmental stability, and their suspected toxic effects.

The chemicals show up in the blood of newborns, of people living in sub-Arctic Indigenous communities, in fish and mussels, even birds’ eggs.

No level of PFAS in the body is considered safe, and they have been linked to a litany of health problems, including cancers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a common PFAS, as carcinogenic to humans and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), another common PFAS, as possibly carcinogenic to humans.

No studies have addressed the relationship between PFAS and colorectal carcinoma (CRC). However, firefighters experience this type of cancer at higher rates than the general population and they are heavily exposed to PFAS at work. About 80% of CRC cases are thought to be related to environmental exposure of some kind. But what the chemicals might be doing to initiate or spur on this type of cancer has been unclear.

The Caroline Johnson Laboratory studies CRC with metabolomics, a tool that measures fluctuating levels of thousands of small molecules like amino acids, lipids, and proteins in a biological sample.

The research is part of an ongoing quest by scientists to better understand the exposome—that is, all environmental influences upon a person from conception until death, including biological, chemical, environmental, social, and so on. Because PFAS are so widespread, almost everyone is exposed.