🔬🌍 Environment and Breast Cancer: A Major Step Forward from a Strasbourg Research Team

In October 2025, at the 31st International Senology Meetings in Strasbourg, the team led by Prof. Carole Mathelin (ICANS | Institut de cancérologie Strasbourg Europe) presented preliminary findings showing a link between environmental exposures and breast cancer.
Given that breast cancer is hormone‑dependent, the study focused on a wide range of endocrine‑disrupting chemicals.

🧭 Study Framework

• Population: 931 patients operated at ICANS (2000–2024)
• Biological material: analyses performed on tumour and benign breast tissues
• Substances screened:
▸ over 500 pesticides
▸ several PFAS
▸ 30 metals
• Status: study still ongoing

🎯 Key Takeaways

🔍 Distribution in tissues

• PFAS and metals: more concentrated in tumours
• Pesticides: more concentrated in fat tissues
• PFAS prevalence: detected in 96% of patients
– PFOS and PFOA were more abundant in triple‑negative tumours (more aggressive forms, often affecting younger women)

🧪📊 Effects of age and BMI

• Age: contaminant concentrations appear to increase over time
• BMI:
– Lean women: higher levels of PFAS and metals
– Obese women: higher levels of pesticides

🗺️ Spatial signals

Correlations were observed between soil contamination and tumour contamination for certain substances — notably lead in Moselle (Florange/Hayange) and around Mulhouse.

▶️ Overall, endocrine disruptors were found in significantly higher quantities in cancerous tumours than in benign ones.

🔑 Why It Matters

• Public health: supports the development of prevention strategies targeting real‑life exposures (PFAS, metals, pesticides), in addition to traditional risk factors. 🛡️
• Local authorities: provides actionable data to prioritise environmental interventions where signals are strongest. 🧭
• Clinical research: helps refine tumour phenotyping (e.g., triple‑negative cancers) and better understand the contribution of lifelong cumulative exposures. 🔎

🔗 Sources :

• ICANS
• DNA