Serum heavy metals and breast cancer risk: A case-control study nested in the Florence cohort of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition) study.
Breast cancer
Cadmium
Chromium
Cobalt
Heavy metals
Lead
Manganese
Nested case-control study
Thallium
Vitamin B(12)
Journal
The Science of the total environment
ISSN: 1879-1026
Titre abrégé: Sci Total Environ
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 0330500
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
25 Feb 2023
25 Feb 2023
Historique:
received:
12
10
2022
revised:
25
11
2022
accepted:
25
11
2022
pubmed:
5
12
2022
medline:
17
1
2023
entrez:
4
12
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Chronic exposure to heavy metals is of concern for its potential carcinogenic effect. An association with increased breast cancer (BC) risk was hypothesized, but literature data are conflicting and the question remains unresolved. We aimed to investigate the association between heavy metals and BC risk in a case-control study nested within the Florence section of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition) cohort. We included 150 BC cases and an equal number of controls individually matched to cases by age and year of enrolment. In order to avoid confounding by smoking, the study was restricted to never smokers. Serum levels of six heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Pb, and Tl) were quantified in pre-diagnostic samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated via multivariable conditional logistic regression models. Serum levels of cobalt were inversely associated with BC risk (OR for the comparison of 3rd vs. 1st tertiles: 0.33, 95 % CI 0.12-0.91, p-value 0.033). None of the other heavy metals under study was significantly associated with BC risk in multivariable models. For Cd, Cr, and Tl, over half of the study participants had serum levels below the limit of quantitation. Our results do not support the hypothesis that exposure to heavy metals is associated with an increased BC risk among never smokers from the general population. The inverse association between cobalt serum levels and BC risk requires confirmation in future studies.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Chronic exposure to heavy metals is of concern for its potential carcinogenic effect. An association with increased breast cancer (BC) risk was hypothesized, but literature data are conflicting and the question remains unresolved. We aimed to investigate the association between heavy metals and BC risk in a case-control study nested within the Florence section of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition) cohort.
METHODS
METHODS
We included 150 BC cases and an equal number of controls individually matched to cases by age and year of enrolment. In order to avoid confounding by smoking, the study was restricted to never smokers. Serum levels of six heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Pb, and Tl) were quantified in pre-diagnostic samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated via multivariable conditional logistic regression models.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Serum levels of cobalt were inversely associated with BC risk (OR for the comparison of 3rd vs. 1st tertiles: 0.33, 95 % CI 0.12-0.91, p-value 0.033). None of the other heavy metals under study was significantly associated with BC risk in multivariable models. For Cd, Cr, and Tl, over half of the study participants had serum levels below the limit of quantitation.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Our results do not support the hypothesis that exposure to heavy metals is associated with an increased BC risk among never smokers from the general population. The inverse association between cobalt serum levels and BC risk requires confirmation in future studies.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36464039
pii: S0048-9697(22)07671-9
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160568
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Cadmium
00BH33GNGH
Metals, Heavy
0
Cobalt
3G0H8C9362
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
160568Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest All Authors have no competing interests to declare.