Serum selenium levels predict survival after breast cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Nutritional Biochemistry

Background:

• Previous studies indicate an inverse relationship between serum selenium and cancer incidence.
• The impact of selenium status on breast cancer survival remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum selenium levels and survival in breast cancer patients.
• To determine if low selenium status affects breast cancer prognosis.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples collected from 546 breast cancer patients post-diagnosis and pre-treatment.
• Serum selenium levels quantified using mass spectroscopy and categorized into quartiles.
• Patient survival data tracked via linkage to the Polish National Death Registry.

Main Results:

• 5-year overall survival was 68.1% for the lowest selenium quartile (<64.4 µg/L) vs. 82.5% for the highest (>81.0 µg/L).
• Lowest quartile associated with a 2.49-fold increased hazard ratio for death (P=0.0002).
• Low selenium significantly increased breast cancer mortality risk in former smokers (HR 6.03).

Conclusions:

• Serum selenium levels above 64.4 µg/L may be beneficial for breast cancer patient survival.
• Selenium supplementation could potentially improve outcomes for women with low post-diagnostic selenium levels.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and evaluate supplementation efficacy.