PFAS (forever chemicals) and kidney cancer risk in US adults
Official title: Perfluoroalkyl substances and risk of kidney cancer in US men and women
Funded at Brown University · NIH-11099878 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will compare PFAS chemical levels in people with and without kidney cancer to learn if higher exposure links to cancer risk in US men and women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | June 20, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $636,691 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES034014-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11099878 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are U.S. adults who are enrolled in one of the participating long-term cohort studies and who have stored blood samples available for PFAS measurement.
✕Less likely to help
People whose kidney cancer is driven primarily by strong inherited genetic syndromes or by exposures unrelated to PFAS may not directly benefit from these results.
What this research studies
This project uses stored blood samples from five large U.S. cohort studies to compare PFAS levels in people who later develop renal cell carcinoma with matched participants who do not. Investigators will identify kidney cancer cases that occurred during follow-up, select similar control participants, and measure PFAS concentrations in banked blood drawn before diagnosis. The team focuses on diverse, non-occupationally exposed adults to make findings relevant to the general population. By using a prospective nested case-control design, the study aims to clarify whether common environmental PFAS exposures raise the chance of developing kidney cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If confirmed, the findings could identify PFAS as a preventable environmental risk for kidney cancer and inform public health policies and exposure-reduction efforts.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier small occupational studies and a recent population-based case-control of 324 cases provided suggestive links between PFAS and kidney cancer, but larger prospective data are limited and inconsistent.
Where this research is happening
-
Brown University
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zheng, Tongzhang — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Zheng, Tongzhang
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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.