PFAS chemicals and liver cancer risk in the United States
Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) and Liver Cancer Risk in the United States
This project will look at whether common PFAS 'forever chemicals' people are exposed to raise the chance of developing liver cancer, with attention to groups like African American and Hispanic adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10867520 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers are combining many long-term U.S. health studies to link measured PFAS levels in blood with later liver cancer diagnoses. They will measure multiple PFAS chemicals and analyze how mixtures of these chemicals relate to cancer risk, not just single compounds. The work focuses on typical, non-occupational exposures in the general population and will examine differences by race and ethnicity, including African American and Hispanic groups. The teams will follow people over time using stored blood samples and medical records to see who develops liver cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are U.S. adults in long-term health studies who can provide blood samples and health history, particularly African American and Hispanic people from those cohorts.
Not a fit: People whose liver cancer is driven primarily by chronic hepatitis B or C, inherited genetic disorders, or those with only high occupational PFAS exposures may not see direct benefit from the study's non-occupational focus.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal preventable environmental causes of liver cancer and point to exposure-reduction or screening strategies that reduce risk, especially in higher-risk communities.
How similar studies have performed: Animal experiments and occupational mortality studies suggest PFAS can affect the liver, but large prospective population studies in the general public are limited, so this pooled-cohort approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Xuehong — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Xuehong
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.