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A low selenium level is associated with lung and laryngeal cancers
Katrzyna Jaworska1, Satish Gupta, Katarzyna Durda
1International Hereditary Cancer Centre, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
Plos One
|March 22, 2013
Summary
Low selenium levels are linked to increased lung and laryngeal cancer risk. This study found that serum selenium below 60 µg/l significantly elevates the risk for these cancers in a Polish population.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Selenium deficiency is a suspected risk factor for various cancers.
- Geographic regions may exhibit varying selenium levels, potentially influencing cancer incidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum selenium levels and the risk of lung and laryngeal cancer.
- To explore the role of genetic variants in selenoprotein genes in cancer risk.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted in Szczecin, Poland.
- Serum selenium levels and genotypes for four selenoprotein genes (GPX1, GPX4, TXNRD2, SEP15) were analyzed in 95 lung cancer cases, 113 laryngeal cancer cases, and healthy controls.
- Odds ratios were calculated to assess the association between selenium levels, genotypes, and cancer diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Lung cancer cases had a mean serum selenium level of 63.2 µg/l, versus 74.6 µg/l in controls (p<0.0001).
- Laryngeal cancer cases had a mean serum selenium level of 64.8 µg/l, versus 77.1 µg/l in controls (p<0.0001).
- Serum selenium levels above 80 µg/l were associated with a significantly reduced odds of lung cancer (OR 0.10) and laryngeal cancer (OR 0.23) compared to levels below 60 µg/l. Modest evidence suggested an association between a GPX1 genetic variant and cancer risk.
Conclusions:
- Serum selenium levels below 60 µg/l are associated with a high risk of both lung and laryngeal cancer.
- Maintaining adequate selenium levels may be important for cancer prevention, particularly in at-risk populations.
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