Urinary heavy metals and overall survival of advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer: A nested case-control study in China Original paper
Researched by:
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Divine Aleru
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Divine Aleru
Read MoreI am a biochemist with a deep curiosity for the human microbiome and how it shapes human health, and I enjoy making microbiome science more accessible through research and writing. With 2 years experience in microbiome research, I have curated microbiome studies, analyzed microbial signatures, and now focus on interventions as a Microbiome Signatures and Interventions Research Coordinator.
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Women’s Health
Women’s Health
Women’s health, a vital aspect of medical science, encompasses various conditions unique to women’s physiological makeup. Historically, women were often excluded from clinical research, leading to a gap in understanding the intricacies of women’s health needs. However, recent advancements have highlighted the significant role that the microbiome plays in these conditions, offering new insights and potential therapies. MicrobiomeSignatures.com is at the forefront of exploring the microbiome signature of each of these conditions to unravel the etiology of these diseases and develop targeted microbiome therapies.
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Metals
Metals
OverviewHeavy metals play a significant and multifaceted role in the pathogenicity of microbial species. Their involvement can be viewed from two primary perspectives: the toxicity of heavy metals to microbes and the exploitation of heavy metals by microbial pathogens to establish infections and evade the host immune response. Understanding these aspects is critical for both […]
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Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
OverviewOvarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most deadly cancers affecting women, with an estimated 320,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide annually, making it the eighth most commonly diagnosed cancer. It also accounts for over 200,000 deaths each year, reflecting its high lethality. The disease is often diagnosed at advanced stages (stage III and IV) due […]
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Divine Aleru
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Researched by:
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Divine Aleru
ID
Divine Aleru
Read More
Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Divine Aleru
What was studied?
The study investigated the relationship between urinary concentrations of five heavy metals, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb), and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Using a nested case-control design within the Ovarian Cancer Follow-Up Study (OOPS), the researchers aim to identify whether high levels of these metals in urine could serve as biomarkers for cancer prognosis and survival outcomes in women with HGSOC.
Who was studied?
The study focused on 318 women diagnosed with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer, with a 1:1 matched case-control design. The patients were recruited from Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China, and were matched for age at diagnosis, sample date, and body mass index. The cases were those who had passed away from the disease, and the controls were those who survived. The study excluded patients who had early-stage or non-serous ovarian cancer and those undergoing chemotherapy at the time of diagnosis, ensuring the cohort was limited to never-smokers to avoid confounding factors like smoking, which could affect metal accumulation.
Most important findings
The study found significant associations between higher urinary concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead and worse overall survival for patients with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Specifically, individuals in the highest tertile for arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead concentrations had higher odds ratios for poor survival compared to those in the lowest tertile. The odds ratios (ORs) for arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead were 1.99, 2.56, 2.24, and 3.80, respectively, indicating a strong relationship between elevated metal levels and reduced survival. Additionally, a joint effect analysis revealed that mixtures of these heavy metals further exacerbated the association with poor survival outcomes, with lead contributing the most to this negative impact.
Key implications
This study suggests that urinary heavy metal concentrations, particularly of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, are associated with worse survival outcomes in advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer. These findings support the notion that environmental exposures to these toxic metals might play a critical role in the prognosis of HGSOC. Given the persistent nature of these metals in the environment and their accumulation in the human body, they could serve as potential biomarkers for assessing cancer prognosis. The study calls for further research to validate these findings and explore mechanisms underlying the relationship between heavy metals and ovarian cancer survival, including their potential interaction with other environmental and genetic factors.