Iron, Copper, and Magnesium Concentration in Hair and Risk of Esophageal Cancer: A Nested Case-Control Study
December 2023
in “
Archives of iranian medicine
”
TLDR Higher iron levels in hair may increase the risk of esophageal cancer.
This nested case-control study within the Golestan Cohort Study examined the association between iron, copper, and magnesium concentrations in hair samples and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The study included 96 incident ESCC cases and matched cancer-free controls. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), the researchers found that higher iron concentrations in hair were significantly associated with an increased risk of ESCC (OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.03-1.92). However, no significant associations were observed for copper and magnesium concentrations. The findings suggest that higher iron status may be related to a higher risk of ESCC in this population.