Micronutrients and Breast Cancer Progression: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Epidemiological studies on micronutrient consumption have reported protective associations in the incidence and/or progression of various cancer types. Supplementation with some of these micronutrients has been analyzed, showing chemoprotection, low toxicity, antiproliferation, and the ability to modify epigenetic signatures in various cancer models. This review investigates the reported effects of micronutrient intake or supplementation in breast cancer progression. A PubMed search was conducted with the keywords “micronutrients breast cancer progression”, and the results were analyzed. The selected micronutrients were vitamins (C, D, and E), folic acid, metals (Cu, Fe, Se, and Zn), fatty acids, polyphenols, and iodine. The majority of in vitro models showed antiproliferative, cell-cycle arrest, and antimetastatic effects for almost all the micronutrients analyzed, but these effects do not reflect animal or human studies. Only one clinical trial with vitamin D and one pilot study with molecular iodine showed favorable overall survival and disease-free interval.

Effects of Molecular Iodine/Chemotherapy in the Immune Component of Breast Cancer Tumoral Microenvironment

“…In the antitumor immune response, demethylation of the IFNγ locus activates the transition from naïve to memory CD8+ T cells, promoting increased IFNγ secretion [8]. Some dietary compounds can modify cancer progression, and over the past decade, numerous micronutrients have demonstrated activity as epigenetic modulators [9]. Molecular iodine (I 2 ) exerts antineoplastic effects on different cancer models [10,11], whereas in its non-oxidized form, like iodide (I-) or thyroid hormones (T4), it is not able to achieve these effects [12].…”

Iodine: Its Role in Thyroid Hormone Biosynthesis and Beyond

“…In particular, the higher growth inhibitory effects were observed in tumor tissues with a higher iodine content, indicating that direct iodine uptake by breast tumors led to the suppression of tumor growth [102]. More recently, iodine supplementation was found to enhance the antineoplastic effect of doxorubicin in canine patients affected by mammary cancers [13,14]. In particular, co-treatment with doxorubicin and I 2 has been shown to improve therapeutic outcomes, diminish the invasive capacity, attenuate adverse events, and increase disease-free survival.…”

“…Moreover, iodine oxidation to hypoiodite (IO − ) possesses strong bactericidal as well as antiviral and antifungal activity [6][7][8][9]. Finally, iodine has been demonstrated to exert antineoplastic effects in breast cancer, and in human melanoma-and lung cancer-derived cell lines [4,[10][11][12][13][14]. Hereafter we will summarize the role of iodine in TH biosynthesis and define the detrimental consequences of iodine deficiency on human health [15,16].…”

Association between Micronutrient Intake and Breast Cancer Risk According to Body Mass Index in South Korean Adult Women: A Cohort Study

“…Westernized eating habits such as a high-fat diet [9,10], a high processed meat intake [11,12], a low fruit/vegetable intake [13,14], and soy products [15,16] have been associated with an increased breast cancer incidence in randomized controlled trials or meta-analyses of observational studies [17]. There is evidence of the protective effect of micronutrients on breast cancer progression through the alteration of signaling pathways related to apoptosis, the suppression of proliferation, and the invasion of breast cancer cells in in vitro models [18]. However, epidemiological studies have mostly focused on specific food items or macronutrients, and epidemiological studies on micronutrients and breast cancer are limited.…”