Trace element concentrations in breast cancer patients

Alterations in the circulating levels of trace elements have been observed in breast cancer (BC) patients. However, the relationships between these alterations and the metabolic and clinical consequences of BC are unknown. The treatment-of-choice of BC is surgery followed by radiation therapy (RT). The present study was aimed at investigating: 1) the concentrations of several trace elements in BC patients, and their relationships with the intrinsic molecular subtypes of tumors; 2) the toxicological effect of RT. We studied 49 women with BC who were scheduled to receive RT following excision of the tumor. Plasma samples were obtained before and after the irradiation procedure. The control group was composed of 49 healthy women. Patients had significantly lower pre-RT concentrations of B, Cu, and Zn, and significantly higher concentrations of Sr than the control group. Irradiation was associated with a striking increase in plasma B concentrations, while Cu, Fe, Sr and Zn concentrations were not significantly different from pre-RT levels, albeit Sr and Zn showed non-significant trends towards increases. The plasma concentrations of B, Cu, Fe, Sr, and Zn were associated with the tumor expression of hormone receptors, epidermal growth factor receptor 2, Ki67 antigen, as well as dermatitis and asthenia, all of which represent the main toxicological responses to RT.