ArticleEnvironment international2025
A scoping review on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and colorectal cancer: Evidence from in vitro, animal, and epidemiological studies.
Article in Environment international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Size-Resolved PMToxics · 2026Article
- Review
- Why Is Colorectal Cancer Occurring Earlier? Metabolic Dysfunction, Underrecognized Carcinogens, and Emerging Controversies.Current obesity reports · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsPer- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals that contaminate air, water, soil, and food. Due to their widespread use, PFAS are detectable in most of the US population, raising concerns about potential health impacts, including a possible association with colorectal cancer (CRC). We conducted a scoping review of previously published studies to consolidate the current understanding of PFAS and its effect on CRC risk, identify knowledge gaps, and propose future directions for research.
methodsWe systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published through December 2024 that examined PFAS exposure in relation to CRC risk or progression. Data were independently extracted using a standardized protocol and structured according to a predefined Population, Exposure, Comparator, Outcome (PECO) framework. To evaluate internal validity, studies were categorized by evidence stream (in vitro, animal, and epidemiological) and assessed using established quality appraisal criteria.
resultsTwenty-six studies were identified, including 5 reviews, 3 in vitro studies, 6 animal studies, and 12 epidemiological studies. In vitro research consistently demonstrates that PFAS exposure promotes CRC cell proliferation and migration, highlighting key mechanistic pathways. However, findings from animal and epidemiological studies are mixed, with some indicating increased intestinal tumorigenesis while others report null or protective effects. Notably, major studies were cross-sectional, retrospective, or ecological, emphasizing the need for high-quality longitudinal research to clarify PFAS's role in CRC risk and progression.
conclusionEvidence on the relationship between PFAS exposure and CRC risk remains limited and inconclusive. Large-scale, prospective epidemiological studies that incorporate biomarker-based exposure assessment, including pre-diagnostic PFAS levels, diverse populations, and rigorous study design are needed to clarify the role of PFAS in CRC development. Such research could provide the role of PFAS in CRC development and progression, guiding public health policies and support targeted interventions to reduce CRC risk.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.