Study supports link between cadmium and cancer.

2003 AUG 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The heavy metal cadmium, widely used in batteries and alloys, can affect rats in ways that mimic the female hormone estrogen, a new study has found.

Researchers said the study suggests the metal may be a risk factor for breast cancer. The study was published in the August 2003 issue of the journal Nature Medicine.

"We never expected to see this strong a relationship, given how different the cadmium and estrogen compounds are," said Mary Beth Martin of Georgetown University. "Cadmium's ability to functionally mimic estrogen and its effect on cell growth is quite remarkable."

"What we saw suggests a direct link between low dose cadmium exposure and increased risk of breast cancer," she said.

Cadmium has long raised environmental concerns because chronic exposure can lead to kidney damage and bone disease.

But the study found that even relatively low doses of cadmium affected the mammary glands and sexual development of the animals.

The effects included an increase in weight of the uterus, changes in the lining of the uterus and increased density of the mammary glands. In rats exposed to cadmium while still in the womb, there were changes in their mammary glands and puberty began earlier than normal, reported Martin.