USC researchers receive $7.5M NIH grants to study PFAS and cancer risk

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center have secured $7.5 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to investigate the link between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the development of liver and endometrial cancers.

The funding consists of two five-year R01 grants. One $3.4 million grant focuses on hepatocellular carcinoma, while a $4.1 million grant supports what is expected to be the largest prospective study to date regarding PFAS and endometrial cancer risk.

A key methodological feature of these studies is the use of pre-diagnostic blood samples. By analyzing blood collected before cancer diagnoses, researchers aim to avoid the distortions caused by how disease alters the body or by patient recall bias. The liver cancer study will utilize data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, which has tracked participants in Southern California and Hawaii for over 25 years.

PFAS, often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ due to their resistance to degradation, are found in various consumer products such as nonstick cookware and food packaging. They have been detected in the blood of nearly all US residents and in approximately half of the country's public drinking water systems.