Excessive exposure to
heavy metals including
cadmium and lead is known to have adverse effects on various types of
cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the associations between blood and tissue levels of
heavy metals and
trace elements and different stages of
thyroid cancer in Korean women. Ninety-two Korean women undergoing
thyroidectomy were included in this study. Blood and thyroid tissue levels of
cadmium, lead,
mercury,
selenium, and
zinc were measured, and histopathological results,
cancer tumor node
metastasis (TNM) stage, and
cancer multifocality were assessed. The tissue levels of
cadmium,
selenium, and
zinc were significantly higher in patients with TNM stages 3 and 4 compared to those in stage 1. The tissue level of
cadmium was greater in patients with higher
tumor stage (≥T2) than those with lower stage (T1). Also, the tissue levels of
cadmium and
zinc were higher in multifocal group than in unifocal group. A logistic multiple regression analysis showed that the odds ratio (OR) for advanced
tumor stage group (≥T2) increased in those with higher tissue
cadmium level after adjustment (OR = 1.397, 95 % CI = 1.078-1.811). The accumulation of
cadmium in thyroid tissue may be one of important etiologic factors for the
thyroid cancer progression and aggravation in Korean women.