Association of genotoxic effects of arsenic with haematological malignancy in West Bengal

Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that has been associated with increased incidence of human cancers in certain highly exposed populations. This present work aimed to study whether arsenic plays any role in the increased incidence of blood cancer among residents of West Bengal, India, which is one of the worst arsenic-affected areas of the world. Our study group included both blood cancer patients and age-, sex-matched healthy controls. We studied the arsenic concentration in the hair and nail samples of our study group. We found significantly higher arsenic concentration in the biological tissues of patients, which also correlated with their greater incidence of chromosomal aberrations. Thus, arsenic may act as a predisposing factor for blood cancer.