Heavy metals levels in pre-diagnostic serum of nonsmokers with cancer of the lung, bladder and prostate, and paired individuals

Chronic exposure to heavy metals has been linked to lung, bladder, and prostate cancer risk, yet the evidence for nonsmoking, non-occupationally exposed individuals remains inconclusive. We conducted a preliminary investigation within the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition) Florence cohort to compare pre-diagnostic serum levels of Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Pb, and Tl, among subjects who developed lung, bladder, or prostate cancer during follow-up, and among matched non-cancer controls. For each cancer type, we included 50 cases paired with 50 same-age and -sex non-cancer subjects selected among never and long former smokers. Serum heavy metals levels were quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Median concentrations did not significantly differ between cancer cases and matched controls for any heavy metal. This exploratory, population-based investigation does not support a role of heavy metals in the etiology of lung, bladder, and prostate cancer among nonsmokers.