Breast Cancer and Plastics: A Toxic Pair

The statement asserts a link between plastic-related chemicals—including flame retardants, phthalates, and heavy metals—and breast cancer, noting that racialized populations in Canada face disproportionate health burdens. It calls for the Canadian government to implement stronger domestic regulations and prioritize the removal of toxic chemicals during Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.

• Plastic products and food packaging contain hundreds of chemicals absorbed by the body that are linked to breast cancer, specifically citing flame retardants in cooking utensils, as well as phthalates and heavy metals in children's products.
• In Canada, breast cancer disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, and other racialized people, who experience more aggressive forms of the disease, earlier diagnoses, and higher treatment resistance.
• The authors advocate for Canada to take immediate domestic regulatory action to remove toxic plastic products from shelves and to prioritize the elimination of toxic chemicals in the upcoming Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.

APA

Barker, C., Gioia, M., & Dodd, S. (2024). Breast Cancer and Plastics: A Toxic Pair. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/breast-cancer-and-plastics-a-toxic-pair/

Chicago

Barker, Cassie, Milena Gioia, and Sharon Dodd. Breast Cancer and Plastics: A Toxic Pair. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2024. https://cape.ca/breast-cancer-and-plastics-a-toxic-pair/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Barker |first1=Cassie |last2=Gioia |first2=Milena |last3=Dodd |first3=Sharon |title=Breast Cancer and Plastics: A Toxic Pair |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=13 November 2024 |url=https://cape.ca/breast-cancer-and-plastics-a-toxic-pair/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{barker2024breast, author = {Barker, Cassie and Gioia, Milena and Dodd, Sharon}, title = {{Breast Cancer and Plastics: A Toxic Pair}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://cape.ca/breast-cancer-and-plastics-a-toxic-pair/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }