Cadmium, arsenic, selenium and iron- Implications for tumor progression in breast cancer

- We analyzed contents of Cd, As, Se and Fe in 42 sets of breast cancer tissues.
- Content of Cd, Se and Fe was significantly higher in tumors as compared to adjacent tissues.
- Significant positive correlation between contents of Cd and As in tumors was found.
- Cd content in tumors was significantly associated with tumor stage, grade and progesterone status.
- Low Se level in tumor tissues was significantly associated with the presence of metastases.

The aim of this study was to determine Cd (cadmium) and As (arsenic) contents in human breast cancer tissues, investigate their interactions with Se (selenium) and Fe (iron), and assess their further implications for tumor progression. Metal contents were determined in 42 tissue sets (tumor and adjacent tissue) collected from 42 women diagnosed with primary breast cancer. Analytical methods included AAS and ICP-MS techniques. Significantly higher contents of Cd (p = 0.0003), Se (p < 0.0001) and Fe (p = 0.0441) whereas significantly lower content of As (p < 0.0001) were observed in tumors as compared to adjacent tissues. There was a significant positive correlation between Cd and As contents in tumor tissue. However, only Cd was significantly associated with histological type of tumor, its size, grading and progesterone receptor status. This study support the role of Cd in breast cancer risk and progression. The possible link between As exposure and breast cancer is still not clear.