title: Increased thyroid cancer incidence in a basaltic volcanic area is associated with non-anthropogenic pollution and biocontamination.
abstract: The increased thyroid cancer incidence in volcanic areas suggests an environmental effect of volcanic-originated carcinogens. To address this problem, we evaluated environmental pollution and biocontamination in a volcanic area of Sicily with increased thyroid cancer incidence. Thyroid cancer epidemiology was obtained from the Sicilian Regional Registry for Thyroid Cancer. Twenty-seven trace elements were measured by quadrupole mass spectrometry in the drinking water and lichens (to characterize environmental pollution) and in the urine of residents (to identify biocontamination) in the Mt. Etna volcanic area and in adjacent control areas. Thyroid cancer incidence was 18.5 and 9.6/10(5) inhabitants in the volcanic and the control areas, respectively. The increase was exclusively due to the papillary histotype. Compared with control areas, in the volcanic area many trace elements were increased in both drinking water and lichens, indicating both water and atmospheric pollution. Differences were greater for water. Additionally, in the urine of the residents of the volcanic area, the average levels of many trace elements were significantly increased, with values higher two-fold or more than in residents of the control area: cadmium (×2.1), mercury (×2.6), manganese (×3.0), palladium (×9.0), thallium (×2.0), uranium (×2.0), vanadium (×8.0), and tungsten (×2.4). Urine concentrations were significantly correlated with values in water but not in lichens. Our findings reveal a complex non-anthropogenic biocontamination with many trace elements in residents of an active volcanic area where thyroid cancer incidence is increased. The possible carcinogenic effect of these chemicals on the thyroid and other tissues cannot be excluded and should be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, University of Catania, via Palermo n. 636, 95122, Catania, Italy. p.malandrino@unict.it.
authors.forename: Pasqualino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malandrino
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, University of Catania, via Palermo n. 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology, Toxicology Unit, Pavia Poison Control Center and National Toxicology Information Center, IRCCS Maugeri Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ronchi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology, Toxicology Unit, Pavia Poison Control Center and National Toxicology Information Center, IRCCS Maugeri Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minoia
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, University of Catania, via Palermo n. 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cataldo
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, University of Catania, via Palermo n. 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Concetto
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Regalbuto
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Department of Internal and Specialist Biomedicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.affiliation: Unit of Endocrinology, Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia, Cervello Hospital, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Attard
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, University of Catania, via Palermo n. 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Squatrito
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trimarchi
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Garibaldi-Nesima Medical Center, University of Catania, via Palermo n. 636, 95122, Catania, Italy.|Humanitas, Catania Oncoloy Center, Catania, Italy.|Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR (National Research Council), Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vigneri
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D014131:Trace Elements
keywords: Epidemiology; Heavy metals; Thyroid cancer; Trace elements; Volcanic area