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Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in Inflammatory Pancreatic Diseases
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This review examines the relationship between inflammatory pancreatic conditions and pancreatic cancer risk, noting that hereditary and chronic pancreatitis carry the highest risk. The study identifies emerging risk factors beyond smoking, including obesity, diabetes, the gut microbiome, and notably microplastic exposure. The inclusion of microplastics as a novel risk factor highlights growing scientific interest in how environmental plastic pollution may influence cancer development.
All known inflammatory diseases of the pancreas, i.e., acute, chronic, hereditary, and autoimmune pancreatitis, carry a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The risk is highest in hereditary and chronic pancreatitis and lowest in acute and autoimmune pancreatitis. Although established risk factors such as smoking have been known for decades, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency have emerged. In addition, the microbiome/use of antibiotics and microplastic are novel risk factors for the development of pancreatic cancer that have not been explored.
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Microplastics: an often-overlooked issue in the transition from chronic inflammation to cancer
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This review explores how microplastics that accumulate in the human body may trigger long-lasting inflammation, which is a known driver of cancer development. The authors describe how microplastics can disrupt the gut microbiome, activate immune responses, and alter signaling pathways in ways that could promote tumor growth over time.
Polystyrene microplastics aggravate acute pancreatitis in mice
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics aggravated acute pancreatitis in mice by amplifying inflammatory responses, with exposure at 100 and 1000 micrograms per liter worsening pancreatic damage induced by cerulein injection.
From Exposure to Oncogenesis: the Role of Microplastics and Associated Pollutants in Cancer - a Literature Review
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This literature review examined the growing evidence linking microplastic exposure to cancer development. Microplastics have been found in human lung, liver, and colon tissue, and research suggests they may promote cancer through chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and by carrying known carcinogens like heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants into the body.
Ecological Modelling of Dietary Microplastic Exposure and Geographic-Patterns of Pancreatic Cancer Mortality in Italy
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Researchers found that pancreatic cancer death rates are higher in Northern Italy than Southern Italy, and one possible reason is greater exposure to microplastics from packaged foods and industrial pollution in the north, while eating more fiber seemed to lower cancer risk. This study can't prove microplastics directly cause pancreatic cancer, but it suggests that cutting back on packaged foods and eating more fiber might be smart moves while scientists continue investigating how tiny plastic particles could affect our organs.
Microplastics as emerging carcinogens: from environmental pollutants to oncogenic drivers
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This review examines growing evidence that microplastics and nanoplastics may play a role in cancer development, with these particles found in human tumor tissues from the lungs, colon, stomach, breast, and other organs. The particles appear to promote cancer through chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disruption of key cancer-related signaling pathways. While direct proof of causation in humans is still lacking, the accumulating evidence from lab studies, animal experiments, and human tissue analysis suggests microplastics deserve serious attention as potential contributors to cancer risk.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.