Assessment of cadmium and lead as biomarkers of prostate cancer severity

This study examines the relationship between cadmium, lead exposure and prostate cancer by quantifying elemental concentrations in prostate biopsy tissue. Tissue samples were obtained from a total of 142 patients (64.8% black versus 35.2% white, mean age of 60.9 years, and mean BMI of 29.4) undergoing prostate biopsies. Only 11 (7.7%) of these patients had Gleason score of less than or equal to 6. Majority (59.2%) of them had a score of 3 + 4, 4 + 3 (19%), or higher (14.1%). Associations between tissue cadmium and age, race, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and Gleason Score were evaluated. The median cadmium concentration (0.41 µg/g) was within previously reported ranges. No significant correlation was observed between cadmium and PSA or Gleason score (p > 0.05). Cadmium levels were significantly associated with age and smoking history and inversely correlated with BMI (p < 0.05). The median lead concentration of 0.03 µg/g was lower than literature values but showed a race-specific association with Gleason score (p < 0.05). The results of this study indicate that cadmium accumulation in prostate cancer reflects exposure history but does not track prostate cancer aggressiveness in this cohort. Lead was not associated with prostate cancer aggressiveness, however a race-modified association between lead and Gleason score merits further investigation.