Abstract
The relationships between serum levels of trace elements and breast cancer remain relatively unknown. In this study, we investigate serum levels of seven trace elements in Korean breast cancer patients compared to controls without breast cancer. Serum trace element levels were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in Korean breast cancer patients before initiation of breast cancer treatment. Korean females without breast cancer served as a control group. Trace element levels were measured in the discovery cohort (n = 287) and were validated in an independent cohort (n = 142). We further investigated possible associations between trace element levels and the presence of lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, or triple-negative breast cancer among breast cancer patients in subgroup analyses. Serum manganese and molybdenum levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in breast cancer patients than in controls. Serum copper levels were significantly higher in breast cancer patients with distant metastasis, while selenium levels were significantly lower. Other trace elements were neither significantly different between breast cancer patients and controls nor between subgroups of breast cancer patients. Our study provides insights about the potential roles and impacts of trace elements through an assessment of the associations between trace elements and breast cancer.
Highlights
Introduction1.7 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most common cancer in women worldwide and with an estimated 522,000 deaths in 2012, the leading cause of cancer death in women (accounting for 15% of all cancer deaths) [1]
Every year, 1.7 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most common cancer in women worldwide and with an estimated 522,000 deaths in 2012, the leading cause of cancer death in women [1]
Serum (ρ = 0.1197 and p = 0.0427 in the discovery cohort; ρ = 0.2210 and p = 0.0081 in the validation cohort), Mn and Mo were significantly higher in breast cancer patients than in controls (p < 0.05)
Summary
1.7 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most common cancer in women worldwide and with an estimated 522,000 deaths in 2012, the leading cause of cancer death in women (accounting for 15% of all cancer deaths) [1]. A comparative analysis of epidemiological data for breast cancer in the USA, Canada, India, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Sweden showed notable differences in the median age at diagnosis; the peak age at diagnosis is 40–50 years in Asian. Many studies have focused on breast cancer etiology, nosogenesis and treatment, aspects of this disease remain poorly defined [5]. A comprehensive understanding of trace element speciation, localization and function under various pathophysiological conditions is becoming increasingly important for understanding disease mechanisms and discovering novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets for breast cancer [6]. Little is known about beneficial or harmful relationships between serum trace element levels and breast cancer [4]. Trace elements play important roles in biological processes relevant to breast cancer, especially those elements that are essential components of antioxidants [5]. Certain environmental and nutritional factors may elicit estrogenic and/or carcinogenic effects, influencing breast cancer [4]
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