Prospective cohort study of toenail trace element levels and risk of skin cancer

In small amounts, many minerals and metals are essential for biologic function. However, at higher levels they can be toxic and/or potentially carcinogenic. Little is understood regarding metal exposure and risk of skin cancer. Exposure to chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn), have been largely unexplored with respect to skin cancer risk. We prospectively examined exposure to these elements and incidence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma in two US cohorts with available toenail samples (7124 females and 2456 males).
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research