Microplastics are everywhere, from the highest mountains to the deepest seas and even in rainwater, as recently detected in Jakarta, Indonesia. Now, for the first time, scientists have confirmed the presence of microplastics in human gastric tissues and believe they could be a risk factor for the development and progression of gastric cancer.
Despite a general decline in prevalence over the last few decades, cases of gastric cancer remain high, particularly in East Asia. With poor prognosis and survival rates, gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and research is urgently needed to understand the risk factors for its development and progression.
“In tumor tissues, the enrichment level of microplastics is significantly higher than that in para-tumor and…