Endocrine Disruptors-Arsenic, cadmium and lead in pre and postmenopausal black women with breast cancer

Abstract

Background: The involvement of toxic metals in adiposity has been suggested to be contributory to the high incidence of breast cancer, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This study is aimed at evaluating scrum arsenic, cadmium and lead in relation to adiposity and blood pressure in Nigerian women with breast cancer. Methodology: The study comprised 85 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer pre-therapy (cases) matched with 84 apparently healthy women without breast cancer (controls) according to age and menstrual phase. Arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) levels were determine d by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Blood pressure and anthropometry were determine d by standard methods. Data analysed by Student's t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. Results: Cd and Pb levels were significantly higher in cases, compared with controls (p<0.05). Waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), weight, height, waist hip ratio (WHR), waist height ratio (WHtR) were significantly higher in case s compared with controls (p<0.05). Cadmium positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure while FT4 inversely correlated with arsenic in the cases (p<0.05). Conclusion: Observations in this study suggest the involvement of these toxic metals in adiposity which could be involved in breast carcinogenesis.