INCIDENCE OF INTERNAL CANCERS AND INGESTED INORGANIC ARSENIC - A 7-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY IN TAIWAN

In order to elucidate the dose-response relationship between ingested inorganic arsenic and internal cancers, a total of 263 patients with b lackfoot disease and 2293 healthy residents in the endemic area of ars eniasis were recruited and followed up for 7 Sears. The information on consumption of high-arsenic artesian well water, sociodemographic cha racteristics, life-style and dietary habits, and personal and family h istory of cancers was obtained through standardized interviews. The oc currence of internal cancers among study subjects was determined throu gh annual health examinations, home visit personal interviews, househo ld registration data checks, and national death certification and canc er registry profile linkages. A dose-response relationship was observe d between the long-term arsenic exposure from drinking artesian well w ater and the incidence of lung cancer, bladder cancer, and cancers of all sites combined after adjustment for age, sex, and cigarette smokin g through Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis. Blackfoot di sease patients had a significantly increased cancer incidence after ad justment for cumulative arsenic exposure.