Prevalence and Mortality of Skin Cancer in an Arsenic Exposed Population in District of Nadia, West Bengal, India

Guha Mazumder DN, Kunal Kanti Majumdar, Pramit Ghosh and Aloke Kumar Ghosh

Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, India Department of Community Medicine, KPC Medical College and Hospital, India Department of Community Medicine, Deben Mahatma Government Medical College, DNGM Research Foundation, India DNGM Research Foundation, India

^*Correspondance to: Guha Mazumder DN 

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Abstract:

Background: Ground water arsenic contamination is an important cause of chronic arsenic toxicity in West Bengal, India. Though many studies on skin and systemic manifestations were done earlier, but no study had been done assessing prevalence of skin cancer and its mortality in arsenic exposed population in India. Methods: A cross sectional study was done on a population of 8,206 residing in 2,233 household in Nadia district, West Bengal. A total of 7,162 participants were clinically examined for determination of prevalence of skin lesion including skin cancer during the study. Death due skin cancer was determined by verbal autopsy from total death due to cancer out of 1,044 persons who were found dead during the study. Arsenic exposure data was obtained from testing of arsenic in drinking water sources from 7,130 participants. Results: Prevalence of skin lesion was found to be 3.68% out of the population of 7,162 studied. Skin cancer was found to be present in 44 cases, the prevalence being 0.61%. Significantly more male and aged people (Mean 63 years) had skin cancer. Difference between proportion affected with skin cancer exposed to arsenic above or below 50 µg/L was found to be statistically significant (p-value = 0.03). Death due to skin cancer was found to occur in 6 (4.96%) subjects out of total cancer deaths of 121 recorded out of 8,206 populations surveyed. Conclusion: Our community-based study has provided, for the first time, data on arsenic exposure, prevalence and mortality of skin cancer from a large arsenic exposed population in India.

Keywords:

Pigmentation & Keratosis; Skin cancer prevalence; Skin cancer mortality; Arsenic exposure; Skin cancer

Cite the Article:

Guha Mazumder DN, Majumdar KK, Ghosh P, Ghosh AK. Prevalence and Mortality of Skin Cancer in an Arsenic Exposed Population in District of Nadia, West Bengal, India. Clin Oncol. 2020; 5: 1709..