Arsenic in drinking water and prostate cancer: A population-based case-control study in Northern Chile
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Date
2025
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Abstract
Background: Epidemiologic evidence demonstrates increased lung, bladder, and skin cancer riskamong individuals exposed to arsenic in drinking water. Some studies report associations withprostate cancer, but data are limited. This study aimed to examine the association between arsenicin drinking water and prostate cancer in Northern Chile. With its wide range of exposure (<10–860μg/L), large population, and accurate information on historical exposures, Northern Chile is thebest place to investigate the human carcinogenic effects of arsenic.Methods: A case-control study conducted from 2015–2019 enrolled 343 prostate cancer casesand 337 age-matched controls among men aged ≥40 years. Cases were ascertained from cancercommittees, hospitals, and medical facilities in the area. Controls were ascertained from the ChileVoter Registry, including >90% of adults aged >50 years. Information on lifetime arsenic exposureand potential confounders such as smoking, family history, and prostate cancer screening werecollected.Results: Twenty-three percent of participants were exposed to arsenic concentrations >800 μg/Lin their lifetime (80x recommended thresholds). Cases and controls were demographically similar.After adjustment for age and smoking status, participants with the highest quartile of lifetimecumulative and average arsenic concentrations in drinking water each had 1.14 (95%CI 0.71–1.84)and 1.17 (95%CI 0.73–1.89) times the odds of prostate cancer compared to participants with thelowest quartile of exposure, respectively.Conclusions: Arsenic exposure in drinking water, even at high levels, was not associated withincreased risk of prostate cancer.