Microplastics and nanoplastics were identified in samples from 9 out of 10 patients with prostate cancer, with greater levels of these small plastic fragments inside tumors than in nearby normal tissue, according to findings from a small pilot study that will be presented at the upcoming 2026 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (Abstract 379).
“Our pilot study provides important evidence that microplastic exposure may be a risk factor for prostate cancer,” said study lead author Stacy Loeb, MD, Professor of Urology and Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Background and Study Methods
Preclinical data has suggested a potential link between micro/nanoplastics and cancer, though before this study, the relationship in prostate cancer specifically had not been explored. Also, a landmark study published in 2024 in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients with micro/nanoplastics in their carotid plaques were about 4.5 times more likely to experience a clinical event.
Researchers sought to explore whether micro/nanoplastics were found in patients with prostate cancer and how levels differed between tumor and benign tissue. They looked at specimens from 10 patients with prostate cancer who were undergoing radical prostatectomy as well as samples from other parts of the prostate, including tumor and benign tissues. Evaluation consisted of visual inspection, Raman microscopy inspection, and pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry to quantify micro/nanoplastics.
Key Findings
By Raman microscopy inspection, microplastics were found in 60% of the patient samples, with particles ranging from 1.2 µm to 40.3 µm in diameter. Tumor tissues contained more particles per sample than benign tissue.
Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry identified micro/nanoplastics in 90% of patients, including in 90% of tumor tissue and in 70% of adjacent normal tissue. Microplastic concentrations were higher in tumor tissue than in paratumor tissue, with mean concentrations of 39.8 µg/g (median = 16.3 µg/g; range = 7.0–215.5 µg/g) in tumor tissues and 15.5 µg/g (median = 7.0 µg/g; range = 7.0–54.3 µg/g) in adjacent normal tissue.
Of all microplastics, nylon-6 and polystyrene were most commonly found above pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry detection limits, and polyethylene and polyethylene copolymers were commonly found above Raman microscopy detection limits.
“By uncovering yet another potential health concern posed by plastic, our findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory measures to limit the public’s exposure to these substances, which are everywhere in the environment,” said study senior author Vittorio Albergamo, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Further ongoing research is focused on a possible link between micro/nanoplastics and prostate carcinogenesis, as well as examining other genitourinary cancer samples for the presence of these materials.
DISCLOSURE: Funding for the study was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense. For full disclosures of the study authors, visit coi.asco.org.
