Skin cancer and water arsenic in lane county, Oregon

✍ Scribed by William Morton; Grier Starr; Daryl Pohl; John Stoner; Sheldon Wagner; Paul Weswig

• Book ID: 102667069
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1976
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 610 KB
• Volume: 37
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(197605)37:5<2523::aid-cncr2820370545>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

It was expected that the incidence of skin cancer would be related to the known high arsenic level8 in water supplies of Lane County, Oregon. Incidence rates were based on all histopathologically confirmed cases among Lane County residents diagnosed during 1958-1971 and were compared to mean water arsenic levels measured during 1968-1974. Basal cell carcinoma had a mean annual incidence rate of 88 per 100,000,a 5:4::M:F sex ratio, and an increasing risk for both sexes in urban areas. Squamous cell carcinoma incidence was 50 per 100,000 and showed 2: : l : M : F sex ratio but no urban predilection. Neither type of skin cancer was directly related to the arsenic levels as expected, although sporadic individuals with sufficient exposure could manifest the relationship. Fewer than expected drinking water sources were found to contain high arsenic content, so that the Lane County data do not necessarily contradict previous reports of positive correlation. The basal cell carcinoma pattern suggested that this disease might be potentiated by urban air pollutants.