The Association Between Cadmium Exposure and Prostate Cancer

Could evolving medical science clarify the risks associated with cadmium exposure?

Cadmium is used throughout industry and manufacturing and the possibility of an association between cadmium exposure and prostate cancer has previously been explored. A recently published review of articles that explore the link between cadmium exposure and prostate cancer has reinforced the overall conclusion of the previous analysis: there is no significant association between cadmium exposure and prostate cancer.

Summary

A review, The Association Between Cadmium Exposure and Prostate Cancer: An Updated Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis, by Firmani et al, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in November 2024 concluded that there is no significant association between cadmium exposure and prostate cancer but also provides new insights on disease severity where findings suggest a strong association between cadmium exposure and the development of more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. Further studies are necessary to explore these associations more thoroughly.

Background

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. Over 55,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year and it is the most common cancer in males in the UK, accounting for 14% of all cancers and 28% of all new cancer cases in males in the UK (Cancer Research – 2017-2019). Like all cancers, it has a multifactorial aetiology involving genetic, hormonal, lifestyle and environmental factors. The role of environmental factors and occupational exposures to heavy metals, particularly cadmium, has drawn attention due to cadmium’s carcinogenic properties.

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal, classed as a Group 1 carcinogen by the IARC and can cause acute and toxic effects. It has been linked to several types of cancers including lung, kidney and bladder as well as prostate cancer. Specifically, cadmium has been implicated in the development of more aggressive and advanced stages of prostate cancer.

Cadmium and its compounds are used in many processes and products, including alloyed with copper and other metals for fire detection systems, electrical cables and some solders, and in nickel cadmium battery manufacture. Those at risk for cadmium exposure include operators carrying out brazing or silver soldering work with cadmium-containing alloys and others working in the vicinity who may be exposed to the fumes generated.

The purpose of the Firmani study was to update previous findings on the association between cadmium exposure and prostate cancer. A literature search was carried out and new articles were identified and reviewed. Recent studies on the link between cadmium exposure and prostate cancer have shown mixed results. Some research suggests a positive correlation, indicating that higher cadmium exposure may elevate prostate cancer risk. This review also examined the association between cadmium levels and prostate cancer severity, and specifically focussed on the more aggressive forms of cancer.

This updated review not only incorporates the most recent data but also re-evaluates the outcomes of previous findings. The results of the reviews are not statistically significant, indicating that the association between cadmium and prostate cancer is not definitely established. Dietary, occupational and environmental exposures all show no significant association with prostate cancer.

Several significant insights have emerged, and these insights provide a more robust and current understanding of the subject, offering valuable implications for future research.

The results indicate that there is no significant association between cadmium exposure and prostate cancer, which is in agreement with the previous review. The findings therefore reinforce the previous conclusions.

The review offers new insights by addressing cancer severity, a factor that was not previously considered. The review highlights that higher cadmium exposure is linked to more aggressive prostate cancer forms and calls for further research into the mechanisms through which cadmium contributes to cancer severity.

There are some limitations including the relatively small number of studies and the possible presence of exposure assessment bias as not all studies used an adequate biological sample for cadmium exposure evaluation.

The review concluded that the findings suggest the need for further research to clarify the risks associated with cadmium exposure, with a focus on disease severity given the association between cadmium exposure and the development of more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

What this means for Defendants and Insurers

Multi factorial aetiology always complicates the causation issues in occupational cancer claims. Attributing prostate cancer to a patient’s exposure to cadmium would therefore have important causation implications.

In practice, the application of material contribution to indivisible conditions such as occupational cancers is difficult to prove because the causal mechanisms are often unknown or speculative.

Whilst the review concludes that there remains no significant association between cadmium and prostate cancer, which is useful to help defend any claims that may arise, the possibility of a link in more aggressive forms of prostate cancer has the potential for further research to be done and developments in this area should be watched with interest by those dealing with occupational cancer claims.

Clyde & Co are specialists in dealing with a wide variety of disease claims, and we closely monitor developments around related topics. For more on this subject, you can read all of our previous articles here, and if you have any questions about this topic you can contact Barbara Goddard or any of our Occupational Disease and Legacy Claims team.