Evidence mapPaperPMID 42230854Full record

ArticleApoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death2026

Differential distribution of microplastics in breast cancer and peritumoral tissues and relationship with clinical characteristics.

Bei Sun, Jinpu Liu, Xinyi Wen, Dongzhi Hu, Zhanhua Gao, Minghan Qiu, Shoujun Wang, Zhansheng Jiang, Mingqing Zhang, Chong Chen and 3 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Bei Sun *Institute of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
Jinpu Liu *Tianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China.
Xinyi Wen *Tianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China.
Dongzhi Hu *Tianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China.
Zhanhua Gao *Tianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China.
Minghan QiuTianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China.
Shoujun WangTianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China.
Zhansheng JiangTianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China.
Mingqing ZhangTianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China. zmq@nankai.edu.cn.
Chong ChenTianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China. chongchen@tmu.edu.cn.
Haiyang ZhangTianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China. zhanghaiyang@tmu.edu.cn.
Feng HeInstitute of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. heaven@tju.edu.cn.
Jie HaoTianjin Union Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300121, China. haojie1215@126.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China Nos. 82173125, 81974374
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The distribution characteristics of microplastics (MPs) in paired breast cancer tumor and para-tumor tissues, and their potential associations with clinical characteristics, remain insufficiently understood. This study included eight breast cancer patients with surgical resection whose paired tumor and para-tumor tissues were collected. The morphologies, particle sizes, and types of microplastics within the tissues were identified and characterized using Laser Direct Infrared (LDIR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Moreover, correlations between microplastic abundance and patients' demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed. SEM imaging revealed diverse morphologies-granular, fibrous, and irregular-often exhibiting folds and fractures. The majority of microplastic particles were within the 20-100 μm size range. Multiple types of polymeric microplastics-including Fluororubber (Flu), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-were detected in all paired samples. Notably, the abundance of Flu, PE, and PVC was significantly higher in tumor tissues compared to para-tumor tissues. Correlation analyses identified exploratory associations between selected microplastic types, body mass index, and certain tumor biomarkers. These findings provide preliminary evidence of tissue-specific MP distribution in breast cancer and support further investigation into the potential biological relevance of microplastics in breast cancer.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsMicroplasticsAdultAgedFemaleHumansMicroscopy, Electron, ScanningMiddle AgedParticle SizeMicroplasticsBreast cancerLaser direct infrared imagingMicroplasticsScanning electron microscopy

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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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.