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Malignant neoplasms among residents of a blackfoot disease-endemic area in Taiwan: high-arsenic artesian well water and cancers

Journal Article · · Cancer Res.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6289705

The objective of this study is to elucidate the association between high-arsenic artesian well water and cancers in endemic area of blackfoot disease, a unique peripheral vascular disease related to continuous arsenic exposure. As compared with the general population in Taiwan, both the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and cumulative mortality rate were significantly high in blackfoot disease-endemic areas for cancers of bladder, kidney, skin, lung, liver, and colon. A dose-response relationship was observed between SMRs of the cancers and blackfoot disease prevalence rate of the villages and townships in the endemic areas. SMRs of cancers were greater in villages where only artesian wells were used as the drinking water source than in villages using both artesian and shallow wells, and even greater than in villages using shallow wells only.

Research Organization:
National Taiwan Univ. College of Medicine, Taipei, China
OSTI ID:
6289705
Journal Information:
Cancer Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Cancer Res.; (United States); ISSN CNREA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English