Arsenic-related Bowen's disease and paraquat-related skin cancerous lesions show no detectable ras and p53 gene alterations.

We have investigated point mutations of codons 12, 13, and 61 in H-, K-, and N-ras oncogenes as well as p53 tumour suppressor gene exon 5 through exon 9 by PCR-SSCP analysis in 26 skin biopsy tissues from 16 arsenic-related Bowen's disease patients and 6 skin samples from 4 paraquat manufacturing workers. No mutation was found. These results are different from findings with UV associated skin cancers. Interestingly, a silent change at codon 27 of H-ras in one allele was detected in all 4 paraquat manufacturing workers and in 2 of 16 arsenic-related Bowen's disease patients. It is likely that the molecular mechanisms involved in arsenic and paraquat induced skin cancers differ from sunlight-related skin malignancies.