Bisphenol-A In Plastics Associated With Breast Cancer

'Bisphenol A' (BPA) a chemical that is used in hard plastics that are commonly used in the household can increase risk of developing breast cancer, according to a new study.

Researchers from Indiana University and the University of California report their findings in the recent issue of Chemistry and Biology journal. The researchers were able to prove that the chemical, bisphenol sulfate, which is the metabolized form of Bisphenol-A, is taken up by breast cancer cells, but not by healthy cells. However these findings were conducted only in the lab and hence it is wrong to assume that breast cancer is caused by such chemicals. "We've shown that modified versions of BPA likely to be formed in the body do stimulate breast tumor cell growth in vitro. Enzymes present on the surface of breast tumor cells appear to convert the modified BPA back into BPA," said lead researcher Theodore Widlanski, a biochemist at Indiana University. Bisphenol-A is also present in mineral water bottles, CDs and DVDs, car parts and other household products. "We have only demonstrated a possible mechanism that explains what people have been speculating about for years," Widlanski cautioned.