Can tungsten cause any types of cancer?
Very little research has been done to study whether tungsten can cause cancer in animals or humans. Lab animals that were exposed to high amounts of tungsten and cobalt showed early signs of lung cancer. Studies in human workplaces do not link exposure to tungsten alone with more cancer, but one study linked workplace exposure to dust containing a mixture of tungsten and cobalt with lung cancer. A study of human cell cultures did find that exposure of these cultures to a combination of tungsten and other metals resulted in some signs of cancer development. Another study using mice found that tungsten did not increase the incidence of breast cancer significantly, but it did not prevent the development of breast cancer cells when compared with another heavy metal.
