BPA exposure linked to chemotherapy resistance

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) -- a man-made chemical found in a number of plastic products, including drinking bottles and the lining of food cans -- may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments, scientists report in the latest issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.

BPA, which has been in the news lately as a potential health hazard, has been suspected to play a role in cancer because of the chemical's structural similarities to the cancer-promoting compound DES (diethylstilbestrol). However, few studies have examined BPA's potential effects on the effectiveness of cancer chemotherapy.

Dr. Nira Ben-Jonathan and colleagues from University of Cincinnati, Ohio, subjected human breast cancer cells to low levels of BPA consistent with levels found in the blood of adults. They found that BPA acts in cancer cells similar to the way estrogen does -- by inducing proteins that protect the cells from chemotherapy.

"BPA does not increase cancer cell proliferation like DES does," Ben-Jonathan noted in a university-issued statement. "It's actually acting by protecting existing cancer cells from dying in response to anti-cancer drugs, making chemotherapy significantly less effective."

"These data highlight a previously unrecognized function of bisphenol A," the investigators conclude, "thereby adding a strong support to the growing recognition of the adverse effects of bisphenol A on human health."

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