Cancer burden from arsenic in drinking water in Bangladesh

Am J Public Health. 2004 May;94(5):741-4. doi: 10.2105/ajph.94.5.741.

Abstract

We assessed the potential burden of internal cancers due to arsenic exposure in Bangladesh. We estimated excess lifetime risks of death from liver, bladder, and lung cancers using an exposure distribution, death probabilities, and cancer mortality rates from Bangladesh and dose-specific relative risk estimates from Taiwan. Results indicated at least a doubling of lifetime mortality risk from liver, bladder, and lung cancers (229.6 vs 103.5 per 100 000 population) in Bangladesh owing to arsenic in drinking water.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Arsenic / toxicity*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / chemically induced*
  • Liver Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Liver Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Lung Neoplasms / chemically induced*
  • Lung Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Male
  • Population Surveillance
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Taiwan / epidemiology
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / chemically induced*
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / toxicity*

Substances

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Arsenic