Parabens and estrogen-mediated cancers: unraveling coincidence, co-occurrence, and causality
Abstract Paraben esters are endocrine disruptors linked to breast cancer, yet their role in other estrogen-mediated cancers remains limited. Preclinical evidence suggests that parabens accumulate in tissues and may promote carcinogenesis, while clinical data indicate widespread exposure. Our re-analysis of cervicovaginal metabolomes revealed elevated paraben metabolites in endometrial and cervical cancer patients compared with controls. Overall, longitudinal studies considering intrinsic and environmental factors are needed in assessing paraben-related cancer risk.
Authors
- Melissa M. Herbst‐Kralovetz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8540-5917)
- Zehra Esra Ilhan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3387-9424)
- Paweł Łaniewski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5190-2173)
- Leslie V. Farland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7455-8531)
- Andrea Marchetto
- Georgia Lorentzen
Institutions
- University of Arizona (US)
- University of Phoenix (US)
- AgroParisTech (FR)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Microbiologie de l’alimentation au service de la santé (FR)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- Imperial College London (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Women s Health
- Published
- 2026-08-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44294-026-00162-7
- Primary Topic
- Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- National Institutes of Health
- National Cancer Institute