We've been talking about the negative effects of BPA for awhile here at MightyNest and the list of these effects continues to grow. Researchers in San Francisco have discovered that two commonly used chemicals, BPA and Methylparaben can interfere with the effectiveness of breast cancer treatment drugs.
We know that BPA, a plastic hardening chemical, is most often found in food containers, water bottles, canned foods and even register receipts. Methylparaben, according to EWG," is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors." Methylparaben is a common ingredient in conventional skin care products.
Dr. William Goodson, senior clinical research scientist at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute and lead author of the study explains, in the SF Chronicle, "researchers took noncancerous breast cells from high-risk patients, grew them in a laboratory and found that once the cells were exposed to bisphenol A and methylparaben, they started behaving like cancer cells."
Tamoxifen, a common breast cancer treatment drug which slows or diminishes cancerous breast cells, was closely examined in the study. Researchers found that it's effectiveness was altered if not halted when the chemicals BPA and Methylparaben were introduced into lab testing in combination with Tamoxifen.
"Since most breast cancers are driven by the hormone estrogen, the bulk of the drugs used to treat breast cancer are designed to knock down estrogen. BPA and methylparaben not only mimic estrogen's ability to drive cancer, but appear to be even better than the natural hormone in bypassing the ability of drugs to treat it", Goodson said
To read the full article in the SF Chronicle click here.
