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. 2024 Jun 6;16(11):1788.
doi: 10.3390/nu16111788.

Blood Iodine as a Potential Marker of the Risk of Cancer in BRCA1 Carriers

Adam Kiljańczyk  1 , Milena Matuszczak  1 , Wojciech Marciniak  2 , Róża Derkacz  2 , Klaudia Stempa  1 , Piotr Baszuk  1   2 , Marta Bryśkiewicz  1   2 , Cezary Cybulski  1   2 , Tadeusz Dębniak  1   2 , Jacek Gronwald  1   2 , Tomasz Huzarski  1   2   3 , Marcin R Lener  1 , Anna Jakubowska  1 , Angela Cheriyan  4 , Marek Szwiec  5 , Małgorzata Stawicka-Niełacna  3 , Dariusz Godlewski  6 , Artur Prusaczyk  7 , Andrzej Jasiewicz  8 , Tomasz Kluz  9 , Joanna Tomiczek-Szwiec  10 , Ewa Kilar-Kobierzycka  11 , Monika Siołek  12 , Rafał Wiśniowski  13 , Renata Posmyk  14 , Joanna Jarkiewicz-Tretyn  15 , Ping Sun  4 , Rodney J Scott  16 , Steven A Narod  4 , Jan Lubiński  1   2
Affiliations

Blood Iodine as a Potential Marker of the Risk of Cancer in BRCA1 Carriers

Adam Kiljańczyk et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Breast cancer and ovarian cancer pose a significant risk for BRCA1 carriers, with limited risk-reduction strategies. While improved screening helps in the early detection of breast cancer, preventive measures remain elusive. Emerging evidence suggests a potential link between iodine levels and modulation of cancer risk, but comprehensive studies are scarce. We conducted a prospective study among 989 BRCA1 carriers to assess the association between blood iodine levels and breast and ovarian cancer risk. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we measured blood iodine levels and observed a negative association with breast cancer risk, with a significantly lower risk observed in quartile 4 (iodine > 38.0 µg/L) compared with quartile 1 (iodine < 30 µg/L) (HR = 0.49; 95%CI: 0.27-0.87; p = 0.01). Conversely, a suggestive increase in ovarian cancer risk was observed at higher iodine levels (HR = 1.91; 95%CI: 0.64-5.67; p = 0.25). No significant association was found between iodine levels and overall cancer risk. Our results suggest the potential of iodine to reduce breast cancer risk in BRCA1 carriers after prophylactic oophorectomy but require further validation and investigation of its effect on ovarian cancer risk and overall mortality. These findings highlight the need for personalized strategies to manage cancer risk in BRCA1 carriers.

Keywords: BRCA1; breast cancer; cancer; microelements; nutrients; ovarian cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author J.L., W.M., R.D., P.B., J.G., C.C. and T.H. were employed by the company Read-Gene SA, Grzepnica, ul. Alabastrowa 8, 72-003 Dobra, Poland. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of iodine level in cohort of BRCA1 carriers (n = 989).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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