Study: High Iron Intake Liked to Colon Cancer for Some

People with gene mutations associated with abnormally high iron levels are 40 percent more likely to develop colon cancer, according to a report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine found the cancer risk greater in people who consume high quantities of iron and have a mutation of the HFE gene, which people inherit from a parent.

"Our findings are consistent with the view that taking in too much iron may be an environmental risk factor for colon cancer in some people," said Dr. Nicholas J. Shaheen, assistant professor of medicine.

Thirteen hundred adults, ages 40 through 79, were involved in the study, including people with and without colon cancer. Participants provided information on total iron intake and DNA was analyzed for two major HFE gene mutations.

People with any HFE gene mutation were found to be 1.4 times more likely to have colon cancer than participants with no HFE gene mutation, the researchers reported. And among people with HFE mutations, cancer risk increased with increasing age and with total iron intake.

Iron is a pro-oxidant, and high iron levels can lead to free radical formation and DNA damage, Shaheen said.

Other Sources: Journal of the National Cancer Institute