... and chemical in plastic could raise risk

A COMMON chemical found in plastic food containers, cans, cosmetics and till receipts may increase the risk of prostate cancer, scientists have warned.

Unborn boys exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) had damaged stem cells that can lead to the cancer.

The chemical interferes with the body’s hormonal balance by mimicking the female hormone oestrogen, which is produced by men in higher quantities as they age. Scientists from the University of Illinois at Chicago grew a simplified, miniature prostate 1mm in diameter developed from human embryonic stem cells.

This showed that exposure to the chemical, which softens plastics, can cause overproduction of stem cells in the developing prostate. An abnormally high number of stem cells in any organ can be a risk factor for developing cancer. Professor Gail Prins said: ‘This is as definitive as it gets.’