Background: To evaluate the influence of radiotherapy on the selenium serum levels of breast cancer patients.
Patients and methods: This prospective study includes 209 breast cancer patients treated by external beam radiotherapy from December 2007 until August 2008. Plasma selenium concentrations were determined before and at the end of the radiotherapeutic treatment. Age, clinical stage, prior chemotherapy, body mass index (BMI) and personal habits (smoking and alcoholism) were recorded for each patient.
Results: The mean age was 61 years; the mean BMI was 28.7. One hundred and seventy-four patients (83.3%) were nonsmokers. One hundred and eighty-nine patients (90.4%) showed no drinking habits and 110 (52.6%) have no prior chemotherapy. Sixty patients (28.7%) were in clinical stage I, 141 (67.5%) in clinical stage II and 8 (3.8%) in clinical stage III. At the beginning of radiotherapy, the mean selenium value for all patients was 86.4 μg/l and after radiation this value dropped to 47.8 μg/l. Multivariate analysis showed statistically significant difference in the plasma selenium concentration before and after radiotherapy for age (P > 0.001), BMI (P > 0.001), smoking (P > 0.001), alcoholism (P > 0.001), chemotherapy (P > 0.001) and clinical stage (P > 0.001).
Conclusions: Significant reduction in plasma levels of selenium is recorded in patients undergoing radiotherapy, suggesting attention to the nutritional status of this micronutrient and other antioxidant agents.