Drinking Water Linked to Risk of Uterine Cancer
A large cohort study of California educators suggests a link between long-term exposure to disinfection byproducts in drinking water and an increased risk of uterine cancer. Researchers found that higher levels of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids correlate with specific tumor types.
Why it matters
This study highlights potential public health risks associated with common water treatment chemicals, prompting further scrutiny of water safety standards.
A LARGE cohort study has revealed that higher exposure to certain disinfection byproducts in drinking water is associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer, particularly endometrioid tumours, among women with elevated trihalomethane levels over the long term.
Some drinking water contaminants, including disinfection byproducts, have been recognised as known or suspected carcinogens with endocrine-disrupting properties. Few epidemiologic studies have evaluated their association with uterine cancer.
Researchers used the California Teachers Study, a prospective cohort of female California educators who were cancer-free and had not undergone hysterectomy at enrolment in 1995-1996, followed through December 2020. Fifteen-year mean concentrations (1990 to 2005) of trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, nitrate, arsenic, and uranium were calculated, with mixture effects evaluated using quantile-based g-computation. Associations with uterine cancer overall, endometrioid tumours, and nonendometrioid tumours were analysed by tertile and per log2 increase in exposure, using Cox models adjusted for age, body mass index, and smoking status.
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