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Changes in Mammary Gland Morphology and Breast Cancer Risk in Rats

Changes in Mammary Gland Morphology and Breast Cancer Risk in Rats

Published on: October 16, 2010

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Association Between Circulating and Tissue Levels of Selenium and Zinc and

Adrienne Pratti Lucarelli¹, Maria Marta Martins¹, Mariana Mie Teruya²

¹Santa Casa de Sao Paulo School of Medical Sciences, São Camilo University Center, São Paulo, Brazil, santacasasp.org.br.

The Breast Journal

|July 2, 2026

Summary

Lower selenium and zinc levels are associated with breast cancer. This meta-analysis found significantly reduced selenium in plasma and nails, and zinc in plasma among breast cancer patients compared to controls.

Keywords:

breast cancer oxidative stress selenium systematic review zinc

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Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Changes in Mammary Gland Morphology and Breast Cancer Risk in Rats

Changes in Mammary Gland Morphology and Breast Cancer Risk in Rats

Published on: October 16, 2010

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Oncology
Nutritional Science

Background:

Selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) are essential micronutrients vital for antioxidant defense and cell proliferation.
Imbalances in trace elements like Se and Zn are implicated in breast carcinogenesis, though study findings are inconsistent.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically evaluate the association between circulating and tissue Se and Zn levels and breast cancer risk.
To synthesize evidence from case-control studies through meta-analysis.

Main Methods:

Systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA 2020 and MOOSE guidelines.
Searches conducted across MedLine, EMBASE, and LILACS databases up to April 2026.
Inclusion of 30 case-control studies, with risk-of-bias and publication bias assessments.

Main Results:

Meta-analyses revealed significantly lower plasma selenium (MD = -12.10 μg/L) and nail selenium (MD = -0.02 μg/g) in breast cancer patients.
Significantly lower plasma zinc levels (MD = -0.33) were also observed in breast cancer patients compared to controls.
Most included studies (83.3%) were of high methodological quality.

Conclusions:

Pooled data suggest an inverse association between breast cancer and selenium (plasma, nails) and zinc (plasma) levels.
Causality remains uncertain due to observational designs, heterogeneity, and potential confounding.
Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these associations and their clinical relevance.