Arsenic in the aetiology of cancer.

Mutat Res. 2006 Jun;612(3):215-46. Epub 2006 Mar 29.
Tapio S, Grosche B.
Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Department of Radiation Protection and Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany. stapio@bfs.de
Abstract: Arsenic, one of the most significant hazards in the environment affecting millions of people around the world, is associated with several diseases including cancers of skin, lung, urinary bladder, kidney and liver. Groundwater contamination by arsenic is the main route of exposure. Inhalation of airborne arsenic or arsenic-contaminated dust is a common health problem in many ore mines. This review deals with the questions raised in the epidemiological studies such as the dose-response relationship, putative confounders and synergistic effects, and methods evaluating arsenic exposure. Furthermore, it describes the metabolic pathways of arsenic, and its biological modes of action. The role of arsenic in the development of cancer is elucidated in the context of combined epidemiological and biological studies. However, further analyses by means of molecular epidemiology are needed to improve the understanding of cancer aetiology induced by arsenic.