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

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.