Q: One of my friends works in a company where she is exposed to lead in many ways. Recently she was got stomach pain, and she was diagnosed with cancer of uterus and has to get it removed. How can lead affect us?

A:Lead interferes with the proper functioning of enzymes which are necessary for the biochemical reactions inside body cells. This results in anaemia (shortage of blood haemoglobin), abnormal brain development in children, aggressive or antisocial behaviour, headache, irritability, sleep disorders, abdominal cramps, low sperm count in males and miscarriages and smaller babies in females. Lead toxicity has no link with uterine cancer. The finding in the case described is probably coincidental.