Does BPA Exposure Raise Risk of Breast Cancer?

Evidence continues to accumulate that bisphenol A could pose a health threat. This compound, known as BPA, is a component in clear rigid plastic and the lining of food and beverage cans. It is also found on cash register receipts. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that macaque monkeys exposed to BPA in utero had changes in their mammary glands. The tissues in exposed animals were denser, leading researchers to predict that BPA may predispose animals to breast cancer. This primate study reinforces previous concerns from rodent studies. Although the FDA recently refused to ban BPA, the data suggest that this endocrine disruptor may not be as safe as the regulators maintain.
[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, May 7, 2012]