Grant Number:	1R01CA316857-01 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Loeb, Stacy
Organization:	New York University School Of Medicine
Project Title:	Microplastics, Pesticides and Prostate Cancer Risk
Fiscal Year:	2026

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Epidemiologic data suggests a link between pesticides and plastic-associated chemicals (e.g., phthalates and bisphenols) with prostate cancer risk. Less is known about the relationship of microplastics with prostate cancer risk. However, our preliminary data has identified microplastics in prostate tissue samples from nearly all patients with prostate cancer, with higher concentrations in tumor tissue compared to adjacent benign tissue. Although prior studies have examined interventions to reduce exposures to pesticides and plastics, most have focused on children and to our knowledge there are none in a population at-risk for prostate cancer. The objectives of this study are to examine the inter-relationship between environmental exposures to pesticides and plastics with prostate cancer risk, and the efficacy of interventions to reduce these exposures. Our multi-disciplinary team is well-suited to lead this study with expertise in prostate cancer clinical care, biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical trials and environmental analytical chemistry. The expected outcomes of this study will advance the field with respect to characterizing environmental risk factors for cancer and interventions to address them.





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