Q & A: Dr. Laura Bukavina, KCA Trailblazer Award winner
Dr. Laura Bukavina received a 2024 Kidney Cancer Association Trailblazer Award for research on “Assessing the Presence and Impact of Micro- and Nanoplastics Role in Renal Cell Carcinoma”. Dr. Bukavina, a translational surgeon-scientist, is assistant professor of Urologic Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic Glickman Urologic Institute and translational science lead in GU oncology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. We spoke with her about her research and the impact it could have on people with kidney cancer.
What is your research project about?
The research aims to understand how these tiny micro- and nanoplastics (MNPLs) affect kidney cancer cells and whether they could be a risk factor for developing more aggressive forms of the disease. The idea developed from growing evidence that these plastics can cause damage to cells and potentially lead to cancer in various organs, prompting a need to explore their impact on kidney cancer specifically.
How long have environmental factors like MNPLs been something that kidney cancer researchers have considered in terms of kidney cancer risk?
Nanoplastics and other environmental factors have not been widely studied in relation to kidney cancer until recently. Although the harmful effects of MNPLs have been documented in other cancers, there is still a gap in understanding their role in kidney cancer specifically.
Are there any public health and/or policy changes you’d like to see that might combat cancer-causing environmental risks, MNPLs specifically?
While public health and policy changes may depend on the outcomes of ongoing research, potential future steps could include stricter regulations on plastic waste, industrial practices, and manufacturing processes to reduce plastic pollution. Additionally, public health campaigns could be designed to raise awareness of the risks posed by MNPLs.
What about your research do you think should be most exciting to patients/families?
If MNPLs are found to increase cancer risk or aggressiveness, this discovery could lead to new ways of protecting individuals from exposure and possibly open up new treatment options that target these particles in cancer therapy.
What motivates you?
I’m deeply motivated by the need to understand how our changing environment, especially emerging threats like nanoplastics, contributes to cancer development. I want to use this knowledge to help create a safer, healthier future for all. What drives me most is the opportunity to make a real difference — through research that not only advances science but also gives patients and families the answers they deserve, and ultimately, better treatment options.
What else do you want others to know about you or your research?
This research marks the start of a broader effort to understand how environmental contaminants, like nanoplastics, impact our health. Although this research focuses on kidney cancer, it has the potential to be important for other diseases, including bladder, colon, and gastric cancers. As cancer rates continue to rise in younger populations, understanding the environmental risk factors contributing to this increase is crucial for prevention.