Arsenic level in bladder tumor of patients from an exposed population: association with progression and prognosis.

Lay abstract Research work suggests arsenic as risk factor for bladder cancer. In developing countries such as India, arsenic contamination of underground drinking water is a major health problem. The present study aimed to evaluate impact of arsenic on parameters of bladder cancer aggressiveness and clinical outcome of patients from West Bengal, India. Our data showed accumulation of arsenic in bladder tumor of patients exposed mainly through contaminated drinking water. Arsenic content in tumor favored aggressive phenotypes in bladder cancer (higher cell proliferation and advanced tumor stages) and was found to be a potential predictor for cases of death and disease recurrence in patients after receiving primary treatment measures. Therefore, arsenic content in bladder tumor may be used to improve existing protocols for better prediction of patient outcomes in populations with a similar type of exposure.