Renal cell cancer, environmental arsenic exposure and carcinogenic mutations

Abstract

Malignant tumors of the kidney accounts for approximately 2-3% of the all new primary cancers cases diagnosed in the US, with an estimated 60.000 cases occurring annually. Current epidemiological studies provide convincing evidence linking environmental arsenic exposure to an elevated risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). High levels of arsenic leaching from natural underground sources have contaminated newly drilled wells, leading to cancers of the skin, lung, liver, kidney, and bladder. This link has been the basis for regulatory actions. In 2002, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the maximum contaminant level for the amount of arsenic allowed in drinking water from 50 ppb to 10 ppb (10 μL). In addition, recent molecular biology research on familial kidney cancer syndromes indicate that inactivation mutation in VHL tumor suppressor gene contributes to clear cell RCC development. Future studies using animal models are needed to explain genetic susceptibility in VHL mutations and carcinogenic effect of arsenic exposure.