A POPULAR ingredient found in multivitamin supplements and everyday foods could be fuelling the spread of cancer, experts have warned.
Limiting the consumption of the essential mineral could be key in controlling breast cancer, according to a new study.
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Selenium is vital for the body to stay healthy – it offers antioxidant protection, helps maintain thyroid function, supports the immune system, helps prevent cognitive decline, and helps with hair growth.
But new research funded by Cancer Research UK says restricting its antioxidant effects could prevent the spread of triple negative breast cancer.
Triple negative breast cancer can be hard to treat, but is often manageable through therapy and surgery.
If it spreads to other parts of the body it can become inoperable.
The nutrient is found in Brazil nuts, meat, mushrooms and cereals.
Selenium was assumed to be useful in fighting against cancer cells.
But the new research suggests cancer cells are in great need of selenium, especially when they’re sparse, away from densely packed cell clusters.
Once packed together, triple negative breast cancer cells produce a type of fat molecule containing oleic acid (commonly found in olive oil) which protects them from a type of cell death called ferroptosis brought on my selenium starvation.
The research, published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, shows when triple negative breast cancer cells are not clustered together, such as when they’re not moving to other parts of the body, they cannot survive without selenium.
When the research team at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow interfered with the metabolism of selenium in these sparse cancer cells, they found they could kill these cells, particularly those seeking to spread to the lungs.
Research lead Dr Saverio Tardito, of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow, now of the Centre for Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna, said: “We need selenium to survive so removing it from our diet is not an option.
“However if we can find a treatment that interferes with the uptake of this mineral by triple negative breast cancer cells, we could potentially prevent this cancer spreading to other parts of the body.
“It is not usually breast cancer itself that proves fatal as it can often be tackled successfully with treatment or surgery, it is when the cancer spreads that it proves harder to control.
“With triple negative breast cancer having fewer treatments to control it, finding a new way to prevent it spreading could be life-saving.”
Research like this could be the key to preventing this type of cancer spreading, and that would have a transformative effect on how this disease is treated
Dr Sam Godfrey
Triple negative breast cancer can be caused by a fault in the BRCA genes which increases the chances of developing certain types of cancer including breast cancer.
A staggering 70 per cent of women with faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes will develop breast cancer by the age of 80.
Triple negative breast cancers don’t have receptors for the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, or a protein called Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2).
Treatments for other types of breast cancer target those receptors and, as they are not present in triple negative breast cancer, they are not effective for patients with this form of the disease.
‘I discovered I was carrying the faulty BRCA gene aged 27’
Lisa Bancroft, from Dunfermline, Fife, who discovered she had the genetic fault aged just 27, welcomed the research.
She chose preventative surgery to remove both her breasts and now, aged 32, is still cancer free.
She said: “Research like this, which potentially gives people with triple negative breast cancer more treatment options, offers so much hope.
“Medical science is making huge leaps forward. For me, the research that uncovered the potentially catastrophic implications of carrying a faulty BRCA gene all those years ago, has changed the course of my life.
“I only discovered I had an increased risk of developing cancer because my aunt and my dad were diagnosed with the disease and, because of that, they received genetic testing.”
Sadly both Lisa’s dad and her aunt died from cancer, her aunt from triple negative breast cancer.
At the time of her surgery, Lisa’s daughter was just two-years-old and her future is very much in her thoughts.
Lisa said: “When she is old enough, my daughter Emma will also have to decide whether to go for genetic testing to find out if she is affected.
“Medical science is advancing so quickly so my hope is that by the time this happens, it will be a completely different world.
“Of course, I hope that Emma is not affected by this at all – there’s a 50 per cent chance she isn’t carrying a faulty genetic mutation, and she won’t have to deal with the consequences.
“However, if Emma does have an increased risk of cancer, then I hold great hope that there will be so many more options for her to choose from. Hopefully by then, it won’t be as big a deal as it is now.”
Since recovering from surgery, Lisa has co-founded the charity BRCA+ Chat, providing emotional support to people who discover they are carrying a BRCA gene mutation.
Lisa added: “My dad’s legacy to me was empowering me with the knowledge I needed to take preventative action to reduce my cancer risk.”
Around 56,800 people in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer each year with an estimated 15 per cent of those being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer.
Cancer Research UK Science Engagement Lead, Dr Sam Godfrey, said: “Outcomes for patients with triple negative breast cancer can be worse than for other types of cancer.
“Research like this could be the key to preventing this type of cancer spreading, and that would have a transformative effect on how this disease is treated.
“We are delighted to fund innovative research which can lead to fascinating discoveries.
“These discoveries are the building blocks on which the future treatments are made and could prove crucial in giving hope to those who are affected by this and other forms of cancer.”
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