Cadmium has been linked with several human diseases including chronic kidney disease and cancer. As a carcinogen, cadmium targets several sites that are considered endocrine-sensitive, and some data suggest the breast may be among them. Although cadmium has been hypothesized to act as a metalloestrogen-a metal that triggers an estrogen-like reaction-research to date has not confirmed this as a mechanism linking cadmium and breast cancer. Additionally, although many breast cancers are estrogen-dependent, some of the most difficult-to-treat cases are not. A new study finds that cadmium can induce malignant transformation in breast cells in vitro regardless of the absence of estrogen receptors, strengthening evidence that cadmium exposure may be a factor in breast cancer, a leading cause of cancer deaths among women [EHP 117:1847-1852; Benbrahim-Tallaa et al.].
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