Introduction:

Prostate neoplasm is the most common malignant disease in developing countries and the second cause of death worldwide.

Objectives:

To review the existing scientific literature on the appearance of prostate neoplasms associated with occupational exposure to cadmium and/or its compounds.

Methods:

Systematic review of the scientific literature collected in the MEDLINE bibliographic databases (via PubMed), The Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science. The terms used, as descriptors and free text in title and summary, were: «Cadmium», «Cadmium Compounds», «Cadmium Radioisotopes», «Cadmium Isotopes», «Cadmium Chloride», «Cadmium Poisoning», «Itai Itai», «Prostatic Neoplasms», «Prostatic Neoplasm», «Prostate Neoplasm», «Prostate Cancer», «Cancer of the Prostate», «Prostatic Cancer», «Cancer of Prostate» and «Occupational Exposure». The filters (limits) «humans» and «adults» (19+ years) were considered.

Results:

114 references were retrieved, 14 articles of them in full text after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, in which the association between occupational exposure to cadmium and the development of prostate neoplasm is explained.

Conclusions:

Despite the results obtained that evaluate the development of prostate cancer after exposure to cadmium or its compounds, not enough evidence to demonstrate its carcinogenic effect in the workplace has been found, so new studies that provide evidence in relation to this topic should be carried out.