A California Woman’s Unexpected Battle With PFAS Exposure and Kidney Cancer

When Linda (pseudonym to protect privacy) first moved to Glendale, California, in 1973, she had no idea her new home would one day be associated with hidden chemical dangers, including PFAS.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals that break down very slowly. They can be found in food packaging, nonstick cookware, clothing, firefighting foams and other consumer products.

They can also contaminate groundwater near places like airports and military bases that use AFFF, aqueous film-forming foam made with PFAS, used to fight liquid-based fires. These “forever chemicals” have been associated with an increased risk of cancer, among other health effects.

“As a teenager and young adult, I remember walking along the LA River — an area that has since been found to contain PFAS contamination,” Linda said.

After leaving Glendale, she lived near military bases — such as Edwards Air Force Base — and fire stations, drinking well water for years in areas now known to be contaminated with PFAS.

Years later, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer. In studies, PFAS exposure has been linked to a higher risk of kidney cancer.

Linda shared her story with Drugwatch to warn others about the dangers of PFAS.

Over the years, the places where Linda lived and worked put her in close contact with many sources of potential PFAS exposure.

“During my working years, I was a school bus driver for 12 years. The bus yard and surrounding areas had many industrial sites, including printing companies, metal finishing shops, auto body and paint shops and car dismantling businesses,” Linda said.

The LA-Glendale Water Reclamation Plant — a source of PFAS contamination — was also nearby.

“Daily, I was surrounded by … chemical exposure in ways I never fully understood at the time,” Linda shared.

And it didn’t stop when she got home.

Like countless Americans, Linda used everyday items now known for PFAS content: nonstick cookware, convenient microwave popcorn, personal care products and even dental floss.

“At the time, I didn’t know any of these things could carry long-term health risks,” she said.

The warning signs of illness crept up gradually. In 2015, Linda saw a doctor for what she thought was a urinary tract infection.

“I was given antibiotics but became severely ill — so weak I could barely move and had to crawl on my knees to get around,” she recalled.

After a long hospital stay, Linda was told she had a stomach flu, but the hospital paperwork told a different story. Her doctor recommended an MRI after reviewing the paperwork, and Linda asked why.

“Didn’t they tell you what you have?” her doctor asked her.

“Yes, they said it was a stomach flu,” Linda replied.

Her doctor looked at her and replied, “No — it looks like you have kidney cancer.”

Looking back on that conversation, Linda said, “I was unknowingly living with it for about two years.”

Her path to recovery was far from simple. What should have been a routine biopsy triggered severe hemorrhaging and led to a blood transfusion and hospital admission.

Eventually, surgery removed the kidney tumor, leaving Linda with 40 stitches as a stark reminder of what had happened.

Over the next five years, she endured ongoing medical monitoring, further testing and the physical and mental toll of cancer survivorship.

“This entire experience has had a lasting impact on my life. I haven’t been the same since,” she said.

Today, Linda continues to struggle with frequent urinary tract infections and reduced kidney function — down by about 30%.

“I continue to manage the effects daily. It’s both emotionally and physically exhausting to live with the aftermath of something that may have developed from years of exposure I had no idea was dangerous,” she said.

Linda has since decided to file a PFAS cancer lawsuit and is seeking justice for what happened to her.