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BACKGROUND: Rice contains arsenic, a known skin carcinogen. Rice intake has been associated with arsenic-related skin lesions in South Asia, but its association with skin cancers is as yet unknown.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate whether rice intake contributes to urinary arsenic concentration and risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin in a U.S. population.

METHODS: Rice consumption was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire administered as part of a population-based case-control study of 487 SCC cases and 462 age- and gender-matched controls. Arsenic concentration in household tap water and urine samples were measured using inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and high-resolution ICP-MS, respectively. Odds ratios (OR) for SCC associated with the frequency of rice consumption were estimated using logistic regression, with adjustment for age, gender, and caloric intake.

RESULTS: Those who reported any rice consumption had higher urinary arsenic concentrations than those who did not consume rice, and the association was most pronounced among those with <1 mu g/L arsenic in their household water (19.2% increase in total urinary arsenic, 95% CI: 5.0, 35.3%). Any rice consumption was associated with a 1.5-fold (95% CI: 1.1, 2.0) higher odds of SCC compared with those who reported no rice consumption, and the relation appeared to be largely among those with <1 mu g/L water arsenic.

CONCLUSION: Rice consumption may be related to the occurrence of SCC in the United States, especially among those with relatively low drinking water arsenic exposure.