Study Links Drinking Water Disinfection Byproducts to Increased Uterine Cancer Risk

A large prospective cohort study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that long-term exposure to certain drinking water disinfection byproducts, such as total trihalomethanes (THMs), may be associated with a modestly increased risk of uterine cancer, including endometrioid tumors. The associations persisted even at contaminant levels below current U.S. regulatory limits, prompting calls for further research into existing standards and potential public health benefits from reducing exposure.