ArticleEBioMedicine2014
Rapid reduction in breast cancer mortality with inorganic arsenic in drinking water.
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In one paragraph
Article in EBioMedicine, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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23citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- Breast Cancer and Arsenic Anticancer Effects: Systematic Review of the Experimental Data fromBioMed research international · 2022Pooled it
- Exposures to Drinking Water Contaminants in Community Water Systems and Risk of Ovarian Cancer in the California Teachers Study Cohort.Environmental health perspectives · 2026Article
- The promyelocytic leukemia PML protein coordinates immune evasion in triple-negative breast cancer via independent and converging mechanisms.Cell death and differentiation · 2026Article
- Exploring the Influence of Chemical Exposures in Breast Cancer Disparities: High-Throughput Transcriptomic Analysis in Normal Breast Cells from Diverse Donors.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Breast Cancer Therapy by Small-Molecule Reactivation of Mutant p53.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Review
- Arsenic in drinking water and breast cancer: a case-control study from a high exposure area in Northern Chile.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2025Article
- Targeting mutant p53 with arsenic trioxide: A preclinical study focusing on triple negative breast cancer.Translational oncology · 2024Article
- Pin1-catalyzed conformational regulation after phosphorylation: A distinct checkpoint in cell signaling and drug discovery.Science signaling · 2024Review
- An appraisal of the principal concerns and controlling factors for Arsenic contamination in Chile.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Therapeutic benefits of prophetic medicine remedies in treating hematological diseases (A review article).American journal of blood research · 2023Review
- Drinking Water Supply in the Region of Antofagasta (Chile): A Challenge between Past, Present and Future.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
- Targeting Cell Death Mechanism Specifically in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Article
- Association between rice consumption and risk of cancer incidence in the California Teachers Study.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2020Article
- Health effects of arsenic exposure in Latin America: An overview of the past eight years of research.The Science of the total environment · 2020Article
- A Metallomic Approach to Assess Associations of Serum Metal Levels With Gallstones and Gallbladder Cancer.Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) · 2020Article
- Arsenic Exposure and Cancer-Related Proteins in Urine of Indigenous Bolivian Women.Frontiers in public health · 2020Article
- Arsenic targets Pin1 and cooperates with retinoic acid to inhibit cancer-driving pathways and tumor-initiating cells.Nature communications · 2018Article
- Resistance to Metals Used in Agricultural Production.Microbiology spectrum · 2018Review
- A Newly Authenticated Compound from Traditional Chinese Medicine Decoction Induces Melanogenesis in B16-F10 Cells by Increasing Tyrosinase Activity.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2018Article
- PML promotes metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer through transcriptional regulation of HIF1A target genes.JCI insight · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Allan H SmithArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Guillermo MarshallArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Yan YuanArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Craig SteinmausArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Jane LiawArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Martyn T SmithArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Lily WoodArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Marissa HeirichArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Rebecca M FritzemeierArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Mark D PegramArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
Catterina FerreccioArsenic Research Group, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof AH Smith MD, Y Yuan MPH, Assoc Prof C Steinmaus MD, J Liaw MPH); Departamento de Estadística, Facultad de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile (Prof G Marshall PhD); Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (Prof MT Smith PhD); Breast Cancer Oncology Program, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA (L Wood, M Heirich, RM Fritzemeier MS, Prof MD Pegram MD); Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile, and Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases ACCDIS, Santiago, Chile (Prof C Ferreccio MD).
University of California, Berkeley · USStanford Cancer InstituteAdvanced Center for Chronic Diseases · CLPontificia Universidad Católica de Chile · CL
Funding
Training CoreP42ES004705 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI MORELLO-FROSCH, RACHEL ADELE · 1987 to 2025
$74.6MEarly-life arsenic exposure and adult mortality in Region II, ChileR01CA129558 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI SMITH, ALLAN H · 2011 to 2013
$619kNCI NIH HHS R01 CA129558NIEHS NIH HHS P42 ES004705
Abstract
backgroundArsenic trioxide is effective in treating promyelocytic leukemia, and laboratory studies demonstrate that arsenic trioxide causes apoptosis of human breast cancer cells. Region II in northern Chile experienced very high concentrations of inorganic arsenic in drinking water, especially in the main city Antofagasta from 1958 until an arsenic removal plant was installed in 1970.
methodsWe investigated breast cancer mortality from 1950 to 2010 among women in Region II compared to Region V, which had low arsenic water concentrations. We conducted studies on human breast cancer cell lines and compared arsenic exposure in Antofagasta with concentrations inducing apoptosis in laboratory studies.
findingsBefore 1958, breast cancer mortality rates were similar, but in 1958-1970 the rates in Region II were half those in Region V (rate ratio RR = 0·51, 95% CI 0·40-0·66; p<0·0001). Women under the age of 60 experienced a 70% reduction in breast cancer mortality during 1965-1970 (RR=0·30, 0·17-0·54; p<0·0001). Breast cancer cell culture studies showed apoptosis at arsenic concentrations close to those estimated to have occurred in people in Region II.
interpretationWe found biologically plausible major reductions in breast cancer mortality during high exposure to inorganic arsenic in drinking water which could not be attributed to bias or confounding. We recommend clinical trial assessment of inorganic arsenic in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.
Indexed as
arsenicbreast cancerbreast cancer cell line studiescancer therapyChiledrinking waterepidemiology
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