A study by ibs.GRANADA reveals that exposure to metal mixtures could significantly increase the risk of breast cancer

Researchers from the ibs.GRANADA Biosanitary Research Institute, in collaboration with three other research centers in Murcia, Navarra and the Basque Country, have identified significant links between joint exposure to certain heavy metals and the development of breast cancer in women. This multicenter study, developed within the framework of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) project, is a pioneer in analyzing the joint influence of these metallic elements on the risk of breast cancer in our country.

The researchers found significantly higher levels of copper in women diagnosed with breast cancer, while zinc levels were higher in women without the disease. However, the analytical approach in which the synergistic effect of joint exposure to mixtures of these compounds was studied is the most innovative contribution of this study. Thus, the mixture model revealed that a specific profile with high levels of copper, manganese, antimony and vanadium, together with low levels of zinc and tungsten could quadruple the risk of developing breast cancer.

To reach this conclusion, the researchers determined the concentrations of the 16 metals in blood samples from women recruited in the 90s in the EPIC-Spain cohort. These women have been followed for 25 years to identify the diagnoses of new cases of breast cancer, thanks to the contrast of their data with the population cancer registries implemented in the participating provinces. Subsequently, mathematical models were adjusted to evaluate the joint effect of the concentrations of these metals on the risk of having developed breast cancer throughout the follow-up, taking into account the potential existence of non-additive and non-linear effects. This epidemiological design, together with a complete and rigorous analysis methodology to explore complex relationships, guarantees the solidity and reliability of the results obtained.

“Our findings suggest that the combination of these metallic elements could significantly influence the risk of breast cancer in women. However, it is essential to replicate these results in larger samples and with repeated measurements to better understand these complex interactions,” says Dr. Miguel Rodríguez Barranco, principal investigator of the research project.

Researcher Nicolás Fernández Martínez, lead author of the article, highlights that “the association observed with this combination of metals highlights the importance of understanding how these elements can be related to cancer. “This study provides new insight into the role that some metals, whether toxic or essential, could play in breast cancer.”

The study researchers highlight the need for additional research to fully understand the complex chemical interactions in the environment and their impact on human health. “This study represents a step forward in the knowledge of how exposures to environmental toxins could contribute to the risk of breast cancer and points out the importance of reducing these exposures for the primary prevention of the disease,” concludes Dr. María José. Sánchez, Scientific Director of ibs.GRANADA and leader of the research group.

About the research group

The research group “Epidemiology, Prevention and Control of Cancer” of ibs.GRANADA, whose responsible researcher is María José Sánchez Pérez, as well as scientific director of this institute and whose co-responsible researcher is Miguel Rodriguez Barranco, is a research group that was created in 1985. It includes researchers from the Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP) and CIBERESP with extensive training and experience in different areas: oncology, cancer epidemiology, statistics, health economics, environmental epidemiology, nutritional epidemiology, health public, anthropology and psychology. Researchers have participated in multicenter research projects, both national and international, related to the etiology, medical care and survival of cancer patients, environmental epidemiology, and health economics.

More information about the group at https://www.ibsgranada.es/grupos-de-investigacion/a17-epidemiologia-cancer/

Scientific article reference

Fernández-Martínez NF, Rodríguez-Barranco M, Huerta JM, Gil F, Olmedo P, Molina-Montes E, Guevara M, Zamora-Ros R, Jiménez-Zabala A, Colorado-Yohar SM, Ardanaz E, Bonet C, Amiano P , Chirlaque MD, Pérez-Gómez B, Jiménez-Moleón JJ, Martín-Jiménez M, de Santiago E, Sánchez MJ. Breast cancer risk for the joint exposure to metals and metalloids in women: Results from the EPIC-Spain cohort. Sci Total Environment. 2023 Nov 28:168816. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168816.