Estrogenic overstimulation is carcinogenic in human breast tissue. Personal care products such as shampoo, deodorant, and fragrance often contain chemicals such as parabens and phthalates, which have estrogenic activity. 

In this webinar, Dr. William Goodson described recent research to identify the effects in human tissues of reducing exposure to xenoestrogens through personal care products. Since it is not ethical to intentionally expose people to chemicals of concern, this study was designed to eliminate certain exposures in individuals who were already exposed. 

This study was a community-based participatory research project, in which breast cancer survivors worked with breast cancer researchers to design and conduct research assessing the effects of reducing specific chemical exposures. 

Study participants were enrolled in a program of reduced xenoestrogen use. Participants discontinued their use of personal care products containing parabens or phthalates over the course of a 28 day period. The researchers collected pre- and post-intervention fine needle aspirates of the breast from the participants. By examining gene expression in these aspirates, they found a reversal of cancer-associated phenotypes within breast cells of the participants who eliminated their use of these products. They also found a reduction of parabens and phthalate metabolites in these participants’ urine. 

The study, “Reduction of daily-use parabens and phthalates reverses accumulation of cancer-associated phenotypes within disease-free breast tissue of study subjects,” helps to demonstrate that reducing exposure to hormonally active chemicals can reduce pro-carcinogenic phenotypes at the cellular level. The findings provide insight into opportunities to reduce breast cancer risk by reducing or eliminating certain chemical exposures.

Polly Marshall, JD, the Community Principal Investigator for the study, spoke about the community based participatory research process. 

This webinar was moderated by Dr. Jerry Heindel of the Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS) program of Environmental Health Sciences.