The Association Between Cadmium Exposure and Endometrial Cancer Risk: Evidence from a Comprehensive Updated...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Oncology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Cadmium's carcinogenic potential is suspected, but its role in endometrial cancer risk is unclear.
• Existing evidence requires synthesis to establish a definitive link between cadmium exposure and endometrial cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating the association between cadmium exposure and endometrial cancer risk.
• To synthesize findings from observational studies to quantify the risk.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed across seven databases up to September 2025.
• Eight observational studies with 196,456 participants were included after quality assessment.
• Pooled odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using a random-effects model, with heterogeneity assessed by I² statistic.

Main Results:

• Cadmium exposure was significantly associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.07-1.50).
• Stronger associations were noted in case-control studies, European populations, and studies using blood or urinary cadmium biomarkers.
• The association remained significant in high-quality and adjusted analyses, with moderate heterogeneity (I² = 64.1%).

Conclusions:

• This meta-analysis suggests a potential association between cadmium exposure and endometrial cancer.
• Causality cannot be definitively established due to the observational nature of the included studies.
• Further large-scale prospective studies with standardized exposure assessment are recommended to clarify the relationship.