Assessment of Serum Iron Profiles and Associated Factors in Newly Diagnosed Female Breast Cancer Patients Attending Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Date
2024-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: - Breast cancer is the leading cancer among females globally, with high morbidity
and mortality rates. Iron in cells is vital for oxygen transport as part of haemoglobin, stored in
ferritin, and carried by transferrin, have role in numerous biological processes, including DNA
and RNA synthesis. Maintaining iron concentrations in the cells and in the body so crucial, since
both iron deficiency and iron overload can impair cellular function also can raise cancer risk,
including breast cancer.
Objective: To assess serum iron profiles and their associated factors in newly diagnosed female
breast cancer patients attending Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out between March and November
2023. In all, 74 breast cancer patients were used as cases, and 74 samples from people who were
apparently healthy were used as a control group at Tikur Anbessa Specialised Hospital. After
collecting socio-demographic and anthropometric data, 5 ml of blood was collected from each
participant. Then serum iron, ferritin, TIBC, and percent transferrin saturation levels were
determined by using the COBAS 6000 machine at EPHI laboratory departments. After cleaning,
checking for completeness, and entering it into MS Excel, the data was analysed using SPSS
version 27.0 software. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics (mean ± SD) and
assessed using Chi-square, student t-test, ANOVA, and P-value within a 95% confidence
interval. Binary logistic regressions were employed to determine the association between
dependent and independent variables among breast cancer patients. Finally, the findings were
presented through text, tables, charts, and graphs.
Results: The age of study participants ranged from 25 to 75 years, and the mean ages of breast
cancer patients and the control study group were 44.66 + 11.78 and 46.0 + 12.05 years,
respectively. The mean ± SD of serum ferritin levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05), and
significant decreases in serum iron, TIBC, and TS% were observed in the case groups in
comparison to the normal groups (p < 0.05). Factors like age, BMI, alcohol consumption, and a
diet rich in meat were significantly linked with abnormal serum iron profile results. In breast
cancer patients, the ferritin level was higher in postmenopausal (274.01 ± 127.72 ng/ml)
compared to premenopausal (107.49 ± 83.52 ng/ml) patients and even in their healthy
counterparts. Ferritin levels in advanced-stage disease exhibited a significant rise in comparison
to patients at an earlier stage.
Conclusion: According to the study, women with breast cancer generally have deficient iron
levels, apart from increased ferritin levels. Higher ferritin levels in patients with breast cancer
might serve as an additional parameter for diagnosis and staging. Iron metabolism is strongly
involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and can serve to assess the severity of the disease.
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Keywords
Breast cancer, Ferritin, Serum iron, TIBC, Transferrin Saturation Percent