Researchers at NYU Langone Health reported detecting microplastics in prostate tumor tissue from a small group of men undergoing prostate removal surgery, with average concentrations about 2.5 times higher in tumor samples than in nearby noncancerous tissue. The team says the findings, scheduled for presentation Feb. 26, 2026, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, add early evidence that microplastic exposure could be relevant to prostate cancer but do not establish cause and effect.
Researchers from NYU Langone Health, including the Perlmutter Cancer Center and the Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, analyzed prostate tissue from 10 patients treated with surgery to remove the prostate gland.
In the tumor samples, the team detected plastic particles in 9 of 10 cases (90%). In noncancerous prostate tissue samples, plastic particles were found in 7 of 10 cases (70%). On average, the researchers reported about 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tumor tissue, compared with about 16 micrograms per gram in the benign tissue—roughly a 2.5-fold difference.
“Our pilot study provides important evidence that microplastic exposure may be a risk factor for prostate cancer,” said study lead author Stacy Loeb, MD, a professor in NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Departments of Urology and Population Health.
The results are slated to be presented on February 26, 2026, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. Loeb and colleagues described the work as the first Western study to directly measure microplastic levels in prostate tumors and compare them with levels in noncancerous prostate tissue.
Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments that can form as consumer plastics—such as those used in food packaging, cosmetics, and other everyday products—break down. Researchers said such particles can enter the body through food, inhalation, or skin contact, and prior studies have detected them in many human organs and bodily fluids, though health effects are still being investigated.
To reduce the risk of contaminating samples during analysis, the research team said it substituted common plastic lab materials with alternatives such as aluminum and cotton and performed testing in controlled clean-room conditions. The investigators focused their measurements on 12 common plastic molecules and used specialized instruments to assess the amount and characteristics of plastic particles in the tissue.
“By uncovering yet another potential health concern posed by plastic, our findings highlight the need for stricter regulatory measures to limit the public’s exposure to these substances, which are everywhere in the environment,” said senior author Vittorio Albergamo, PhD, an assistant professor in NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.
The researchers said a possible next step is to examine whether microplastics could contribute to chronic inflammation in prostate tissue—an immune response that, over time, can damage cells and lead to genetic changes associated with cancer. They cautioned that the study’s small size means larger research efforts are needed to confirm the findings and better understand any relationship to cancer development.
Prostate cancer is commonly diagnosed among men in the United States; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one in eight U.S. men will be diagnosed during their lifetime. NYU Langone said the research was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and included collaborators across NYU Langone as well as Samir Taneja, MD, of Northwell Health in New York City.
