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# Cadmium causes both liver cancer, type 2 diabetes
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/cadmium_liver_cancer_type_2_diabetes_0721120825/
- Published: 2012-07-21T09:13:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:53:14.000Z
- Description: A review in Current Drug Metabolism argues cadmium, a food contaminant and cigarette smoke constituent, may be a shared risk factor behind rising liver cancer and type 2 diabetes. Animal work has established a causal link to liver cancer; urinary cadmium tracked with diabetes in NHANES III.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Chemical, Food Safety, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, PHD

Saturday July 21, 2012 (foodconsmer.org) -- In March, 2012, a review released in Current drug Metabolism suggests that cadmium, a heavy metal found in foods as a contaminant and in cigarette smoke as a constituent, can increase risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or commonly known as liver cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Hepatocellular carcinoma has been on the rise in parallel to the rising of type 2 diabetes, which prompted a speculation that diabetes and or obesity may cause liver cancer. 

But S Satarug in Wishart Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, author of the review said in his report this link is possible, but the rising of hepatocellular carcinoma was at least also attributed to the increasing rate of hepatitis C virus infections while the increase in the diabetes incidence was attributed to obesity. The author intended to demonstrate that there may be some common risk factor for both hepatocellular carcinoma and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

One risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma, according to the author, is the exposure to the heavy metal cadmium, a common food contaminant and a constituent of cigarette smoke. Cadmium is one of the ten chemicals considered by the World Health Organization a major public health concern.

Satarug wrote a causal relation between exposure to cadmium and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic adenoma has been established in animals like mice, and cadmium exposure was also found correlated with increased risk of death from hepatocellular carcinoma.

On the other hand, urinary cadmium levels, indicative of long-term exposure, have been found correlated with pre-diabetes and diabetes in a dose-dependent manner in the U.S. NHANES III. The author proposed it is possible is that "cadmium may increase HCC risk through increasing the frequency of hepatogenous diabetes."

Cadmium can also affect renal functions. The author of the review also mentioned that cadmium was found in organs like the liver and the kidneys, two detoxifying organs. 

To prevent chronic cadmium poisoning, food consumers are encouraged to avoid foods that are more likely than others to be contaminated and use tap water filters to purify their drinking water. If necessary, take some detoxification measure or treatment from time to time to cleanse your system. Taking some antioxidants like vitamin E, C and D may also help.