Higher levels of PFOS in the blood are linked to a 12% higher chance of developing any type of cancer, and this risk increases steadily as PFOS levels rise.
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
PFOS builds up in your cells and messes up several systems that normally keep cells healthy: it stops cells from communicating, prevents toxins from being cleared, damages DNA, silences protective genes, and stops damaged cells from dying. Over time, this lets abnormal cells survive and multiply,...
Most probable mechanism
Chemicals in the blood build up in cells, interfere with how cells talk to each other and remove toxins, cause DNA damage, and prevent damaged cells from dying, which lets abnormal cells multiply and form tumors.
PFOS enters cells through passive diffusion or transport proteins and accumulates in metabolically active tissues such as liver, breast, and ovarian epithelium.
PFOS binds to and inhibits connexin proteins that form gap junctions, disrupting intercellular signaling and calcium balance, which removes normal controls on cell division.
PFOS inhibits UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes, reducing the body’s ability to neutralize and eliminate carcinogens and estrogen metabolites, leading to their accumulation.
Accumulated toxins and disrupted signaling increase reactive oxygen species, overwhelming antioxidant defenses and causing oxidative DNA damage such as 8-oxo-dG lesions.
PFOS interferes with DNA methyltransferase activity, causing global hypomethylation and gene-specific hypermethylation that silences tumor suppressor genes and activates oncogenes.
DNA damage and epigenetic changes impair apoptosis by altering Bax/Bcl-2 ratios and suppressing caspase activation, allowing genetically unstable cells to survive and proliferate.
Chronic exposure triggers NLRP3 inflammasome assembly, releasing interleukin-1β and interleukin-18, which sustain low-grade inflammation and disrupt tissue architecture to support tumor growth.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Community contributions welcome
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and Cancer risk: results from a dose-response Meta-analysis
Contradicting (0)
Community contributions welcome
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