Aneuploidy as an early mechanistic event in metal carcinogenesis.

Aneuploidy has recently been proposed as an initiating event for carcinogenesis. There is significant evidence that carcinogenic metals induce aneuploidy. Here we review the mechanisms for how carcinogenic metals may induce aneuploidy and the evidence that carcinogenic metals induce an aneugenic effect which can destabilize the genome leading to genomic instability and cancer.