Carsinogenic Mechanism of Lead, Cadmium and Arsenic

Introduction: cancer is one of the most threatening health problems in the world. In the human body, new cells are continually generated in order to repair damaged tissues. Ordinarily, cell proliferation and death occur in a balanced manner. in cancerous conditions, cellular growth, division and death are deregulated. Heavy metal contamination is a major environmental problem that affects organism's metabolism in ecosystems due to its high toxicity, prevalence, and persistent existence. Method: In the current study, keywords including Cancer, Lead, Cadmium and Arsenic were reviewed from the list of Mesh and other credible websites including PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar and the data was organized. Results: Results show lead triggers oxidative stress and increases the sensitivity of genes to oxidative stress leading to higher estrogen levels as an important risk factor of breast cancer. Different studies in different levels including human, animal and cell culture imply a connection between cadmium and pancreatic cancer induced by damage to the epigenetic part of cells, as a pathway cooperating with cellular nucleic acids. Articles show oral exposure to either sodium arsenite or dimethyl arsinic acid promoted renal tumors initiated by organic carcinogens in rats. One study shows exposure to sodium arsenite enhances skin squamous cell carcinoma, liver tumor, and lung adenoma. Conclusion: lead, cadmium and arsenic are significant toxicants and carcinogens. Industrial development increases the risk of heavy metal exposure via the production and consumption of commercial products containing heavy metal compounds.