Title : Assessing human exposure to key chemical carcinogens diagnostic approaches and interpretation
Abstract:
Urinary screening of biomarkers/metabolites of the most dangerous chemical carcinogens involves the first analysis of urine using HPLC and ICP instruments. Doctor compares the obtained results with standard (normal) values. If there are biomarker values higher than normal, it will determine which chemical carcinogen contaminates the person. For increased exposure to any of the IARC Group 1 chemical carcinogens, there is a set of questions that the doctor asks the respondent (where he has been, where and what he has been doing in recent days, whether he has consumed certain foods and in what quantity, etc.). Based on the answer, the doctor concludes what could be the source of the subject's contamination and gives advice(s) on how to avoid or at least reduce exposure. For example, if subject stayed in an area rich in arsenic and consumed food or water from that area (the Pannonian Basin in Europe), if he ate seafood in large quantities, did certain jobs or used materials rich in arsenic. The subject repeats the urine analysis in a couple of weeks and the doctor compares the levels of previously elevated biomarkers with the levels from another sample. If there is a decrease in the level of biomarkers, it means that the source of the contamination discovered. The respondent advised to continue such behavior and report to the relevant public health/environmental authorities to neutralize/eliminate the source of the dangerous chemical carcinogen. If there is no decrease in the level of urinary biomarkers during the control analysis, the advice to the respondent extends to the complete range of questions (limitations) for the chemical carcinogen in question. If high levels of biomarkers maintain even after that, urinary screening should perform in persons from the subject's environment (family members, work colleagues, neighbors, closest relatives, etc.). Described screening protocol is non-invasive, quick, effective, affordable, and inexpensive requiring only urine samples. This screening aims to detect chemical carcinogens as risk factors for many malignant diseases and many chronic non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological, hematological, dermatological diseases. In some cases, doctors may identify sources of exposure and inform authorities to address and eliminate these hazards.
