Blood Copper Levels and the Occurrence of Colorectal Cancer in Poland
Piotr Baszuk,
Wojciech Marciniak,
Róża Derkacz,
Anna Jakubowska,
Cezary Cybulski,
Jacek Gronwald,
Tadeusz Dębniak,
Tomasz Huzarski,
Katarzyna Białkowska,
Sandra Pietrzak,
Magdalena Muszyńska,
Józef Kładny,
Steven A. Narod,
Jan Lubiński,
Marcin R. Lener
Affiliations
Piotr Baszuk
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Wojciech Marciniak
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Róża Derkacz
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Anna Jakubowska
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Cezary Cybulski
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Jacek Gronwald
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Tadeusz Dębniak
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Tomasz Huzarski
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Katarzyna Białkowska
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Sandra Pietrzak
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Magdalena Muszyńska
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Józef Kładny
Department of General Surgery and Surgical Oncology, First Clinical Hospital of Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Steven A. Narod
Women’s College Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1N8, Canada
Jan Lubiński
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
Marcin R. Lener
International Hereditary Cancer Center, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, ul. Unii Lubelskiej 1, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
There is a need for sensitive and specific biomarkers for the early detection of colorectal cancer. In this retrospective study, we assessed whether a high blood copper level was associated with the presence of colorectal cancer. The blood copper level was measured among 187 colorectal cancer patients and 187 matched controls. Cases and controls were matched for sex, smoking status (yes/no) and year of birth. Among the cases, the mean blood copper level was 1031 µg/L (range 657 µg/L to 2043 µg/L) and among the controls, the mean blood copper level was 864 µg/L (range 589 µg/L to 1433 µg/L). The odds ratio for colorectal cancer for those in the highest quartile of copper level (versus the lowest) was 12.7 (95% CI: 4.98–32.3; p < 0.001). Of the patients with stage I–II colon cancer, 62% had a copper level in the highest quartile. A blood copper level in excess of 930 µg/L is associated with an increase in the prevalence of colorectal cancer in the Polish population and its potential use in early detection programs should be considered.
