N.C. A&T Studies Combined Effect of Essential Elements, Toxic Metals on Endometrial Cancer

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 7, 2025) — The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 69,120 new uterine cancer cases and 13,860 deaths across the nation this year. Endometrial cancer (EC), a subset of uterine cancers which occurs when cells in the inner lining of the uterus grow uncontrollably, is included in these numbers. Additionally, EC is more likely in post-menopausal women and is more common in Black women.

The Looking Forward program was established between North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022 to bring researchers together to address various challenges affecting the state and nation. Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi, Ph.D., director of N.C. A&T’s Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, led one of the inaugural teams’ studies related to EC staging. 

Issah Haruna, Obeng-Gyasi’s Ph.D. advisee, was the first author of an article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health that explored how essential elements, zinc and copper, combined with toxic metals, cadmium, mercury and lead, can affect EC staging.

The team desired to address the limitation of previous research that only analyzed pollutants individually instead of simultaneously studying multiple elements and toxic metals.

The A&T team members conducted a secondary data case series study and analyzed urine samples collected over a 20-year span from 266 patients right before they underwent hysterectomy surgery for EC at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

“We found that when we look at all five contaminants elevated together, the risk of endometrial cancer advanced significantly, which suggests that exposure to pollutants isn’t just an individual problem, but it’s a cumulative one,” said Obeng-Gyasi. “We need to look at multiple contaminants and factor in the environment in these processes. It’s not just your diet we should consider, but where you live and work too.”

Additionally, zinc had a protective effect, potentially slowing down endometrial cancer progression. 

“As an essential element, zinc is important for our cells to function normally,” said Obeng-Gyasi. “We see adequate zinc levels have an association with lower stages of endometrial cancer.” 

The researchers also found that cadmium and lead are associated with a higher stage of endometrial cancer, meaning that women exposed to more of these metals tend to have advanced stages of the disease.

The team plans to expand their research further by analyzing additional biological samples like blood and going into communities to collect environmental samples.

“We’re starting the effort of building a longitudinal cohort, instead of a snapshot in time, looking at the effects of environmental pollutants on health outcomes,” said Obeng-Gyasi. “The Looking Forward funding offered more insight into why we need to continue to do this type of work.”