Serum Selenium Level Predicts 10-Year Survival after Breast Cancer.

Marek Szwiec,Józef Kładny,Jacek Gronwald,Tomasz Huzarski,Cezary Cybulski,Joanne Kotsopoulos,Tadeusz Dębniak,Róża Derkacz,Michał Falco,Jerzy Duszyński,Anna Jakubowska,Marcin Lener,Steven A Narod,Jan Lubiński,Piotr Baszuk,Wojciech Marciniak

doi:10.3390/nu13030953

Abstract

In a recent prospective study, we reported an association between a low serum selenium level and five-year survival among breast cancer patients. We now have updated the cohort to include 10-year survival rates. A blood sample was obtained from 538 women diagnosed with first primary invasive breast cancer between 2008 and 2015 in the region of Szczecin, Poland. Blood was collected before initiation of treatment. Serum selenium levels were quantified by mass spectroscopy. Each patient was assigned to one of four quartiles based on the distribution of serum selenium levels in the whole cohort. Patients were followed from diagnosis until death or last known alive (mean follow-up 7.9 years). The 10-year actuarial cumulative survival was 65.1% for women in the lowest quartile of serum selenium, compared to 86.7% for women in the highest quartile (p < 0.001 for difference). Further studies are needed to confirm the protective effect of selenium on breast cancer survival. If confirmed this may lead to an investigation of selenium supplementation on survival of breast cancer patients.

Highlights

We have previously reported that in Poland, low serum selenium levels are associated with increased risks of laryngeal, lung and colorectal cancers [15,16]
We have reported a relationship between low serum selenium and the five year survival of patients with breast, lung and laryngeal cancer in Poland [20,21,22]
In the present study of 538 breast cancer patients from Szczecin (Poland) we confirmed that a low serum selenium level at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis was associated with increased risk of death in the 10 years following diagnosis

Summary

Introduction

Selenium is an essential component of several major metabolic pathways, including the antioxidant defense system and the immune system and selenium is incorporated into 30 different selenoproteins [1,2,3]. Selenoproteins play important roles in anti-oxidation and in DNA stability and may mediate the anti-cancer effect of selenium [4]. Selenium has an effect on cell proliferation and apoptotic cell death in healthy and malignant cells [5]. Low selenium levels have been associated with a high incidence of several different cancer types [3,6] as well as cancer mortality [7]. Selenium intake varies between countries [2,8,9]

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Discussion

Conclusion