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Trace elements and cancer risk: a review of the epidemiologic evidence

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Abstract

Worldwide, there are more than 10 million new cancer cases each year, and cancer is the cause of approximately 12% of all deaths. Given this, a large number of epidemiologic studies have been undertaken to identify potential risk factors for cancer, amongst which the association with trace elements has received considerable attention. Trace elements, such as selenium, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, and nickel, are found naturally in the environment, and human exposure derives from a variety of sources, including air, drinking water, and food. Trace elements are of particular interest given that the levels of exposure to them are potentially modifiable. In this review, we focus largely on the association between each of the trace elements noted above and risk of cancers of the lung, breast, colorectum, prostate, urinary bladder, and stomach. Overall, the evidence currently available appears to support an inverse association between selenium exposure and prostate cancer risk, and possibly also a reduction in risk with respect to lung cancer, although additional prospective studies are needed. There is also limited evidence for an inverse association between zinc and breast cancer, and again, prospective studies are needed to confirm this. Most studies have reported no association between selenium and risk of breast, colorectal, and stomach cancer, and between zinc and prostate cancer risk. There is compelling evidence in support of positive associations between arsenic and risk of both lung and bladder cancers, and between cadmium and lung cancer risk.

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Abbreviations

ATBC:

Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Cohort

As:

arsenic

AAS:

atomic absorption spectrophotometry

AES:

atomic emission spectrophotometry

AR:

attributable risk

Cd:

cadmium

EMR:

excessive mortality rate

FAA:

flame atomic absorption

GC:

gastric cardia adenocarcinoma

ICP-MS:

inductively coupled plasma mass spectometry

IARC:

International Agency for Research on Cancer

NAA:

neutron activation analysis

Ni:

nickel

OG:

non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma

ppb:

part per billion

Se:

selenium

SIR:

standardized incidence ratio

SMR:

standardized mortality ratio

SELECT:

The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial

ATSDR:

United States Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

Zn:

zinc

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Room 1301a, New York, NY, 10461, USA

    Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera & Thomas E. Rohan

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  1. Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera
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Correspondence to Stephanie A. Navarro Silvera.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Search strategy employed for each of the cancers of interest in Medline

Cancer of interest

Search terms

Lung

Exp lung neoplasms

Lung adj4 cancer$.tw

Lung adj4 neoplas$.tw

Lung adj4 carcinoma$.tw

Lung adj4 tumor$.tw

Colorectal

Exp colorectal neoplasms

Colorectal adj4 cancer$.tw

Colorectal adj4 neoplas$.tw

Colorectal adj4 carcinoma$.tw

Colorectal adj4 tumor$.tw

Breast

Exp breast neoplasms

Breast adj4 cancer$.tw

Breast adj4 neoplas$.tw

Breast adj4 carcinoma$.tw

Breast adj4 tumor$.tw

Stomach

Exp stomach neoplasms

Stomach adj4 cancer$.tw

Stomach adj4 neoplas$.tw

Stomach adj4 carcinoma$.tw

Stomach adj4 tumor$.tw

Bladder

Exp bladder neoplasms

Bladder adj4 cancer$.tw

Bladder adj4 neoplas$.tw

Bladder adj4 carcinoma$.tw

Bladder adj4 tumor$.tw

Prostate

Exp prostate neoplasms

Prostate adj4 cancer$.tw

Prostate adj4 neoplas$.tw

Prostate adj4 carcinoma$.tw

Prostate adj4 tumor$.tw

Appendix 2

Search strategy employed for each of the trace elements of interest in Medline

Trace element of interest

Search terms

Selenium

Exp selenium

Selenium compounds

Zinc

Exp zinc

Zinc compounds

Arsenic

Exp arsenic

Arsenic compounds

Cadmium

Exp cadmium

Cadmium compounds

Nickel

Exp nickel

Nickel compounds

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Silvera, S.A.N., Rohan, T.E. Trace elements and cancer risk: a review of the epidemiologic evidence. Cancer Causes Control 18, 7–27 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-006-0057-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-006-0057-z

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