[Bisphenol A and breast cancer: State of knowledge and meta-analysis]

Abstract

Introduction: Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor used in the composition of food containers. It was partially banned in France in 2015 and classified as a "very high-risk substance" in 2017. Bisphenol A's carcinogenic effects have been demonstrated in animal testing. Bisphenol A acts through estrogen-dependent and estrogen-independent pathways. It induces epigenetic changes and impacts the microenvironment of the mammary gland. However, the role of bisphenol A exposure in the development of breast cancer in humans remains controversial. This study documents the current thinking on bisphenol A with an analysis of the mechanisms and a meta-analysis.

Materials and methods: A literature review and a statistical analysis of linear regression type, with the creation of a Forest plot, were used to perform the meta-analysis of 9 studies including 10,695 patients.

Results: Nine case-control studies, published between 1990 and 2021, investigating the association between breast cancer and mean urinary, blood or tissue bisphenol A levels were selected. The meta-analysis did not find a significant association between bisphenol A exposure and the development of breast cancer with an OR=(1 IC95% [0.92-1.08]).

Discussion: This meta-analysis does not show a link between breast cancer and bisphenol A exposure. Nevertheless, the analysis of a pathogenic link between bisphenol A and breast cancer requires additional cohort studies to conclude because of methods of available studies.

Keywords: Bisphenol A; Bisphénol A; Breast cancer; Cancer du sein; Endocrine disruptors; Mechanism; Mécanisme; Perturbateur endocrinien.