title: Epidemiological and nonclinical studies investigating effects of iron in carcinogenesis--a critical review.
abstract: The efficacy and tolerability of intravenous (i.v.) iron in managing cancer-related anemia and iron deficiency has been clinically evaluated and reviewed recently. However, long-term data in cancer patients are not available; yet, long-term i.v. iron treatment in hemodialysis patients is not associated with increased cancer risk. This review summarizes epidemiological and nonclinical data on the role of iron in carcinogenesis. In humans, epidemiological data suggest correlations between certain cancers and increased iron exposure or iron overload. Nonclinical models that investigated whether iron can enhance carcinogenesis provide only limited evidence relevant for cancer patients since they were typically based on high iron doses as well as injection routes and iron formulations which are not used in the clinical setting. Nevertheless, in the absence of long-term outcome data from prospectively defined trials in i.v. iron-treated cancer patients, iron supplementation should be limited to periods of concomitant anti-tumor treatment.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: yves.beguin@chu.ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Beguin
authors.affiliation: IMO Clinique de Genolier, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aapro
authors.affiliation: Center for Oncology and Haematology, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.affiliation: Vifor Pharma, Victoria, Canada.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mizzen
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osterborg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019189:Iron Metabolism Disorders / Q000150:complications; D023421:Models, Animal; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D007501:Iron
keywords: Anemia; Carcinogenesis; Intravenous iron; Iron deficiency; Nonclinical; Parenteral iron; Tumor progression