Serum Hepcidin Levels in Breast Cancer Patients: Investigating the Correlation to Tumor Stage-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. Hepcidin is a liver-produced hormone playing a key role in the regulation of iron levels in the body. Studies have shown that hepcidin is upregulated in many diseases and inflammatory conditions, including cancers. This study paper aims to assess serum hepcidin in patients with breast cancer and to study its correlation with tumor stage. A total of 39 breast cancer women and 25 healthy controls were included in the study. Serum hepcidin levels were measured using the ELISA method. Other tumor-related parameters including Cancer Antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3), Iron (Fe), C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and the complete blood count (CBC) were also assessed. This study showed Furthermore, this study found a positive correlation a significant increase in hepcidin levels in breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls (M = 5.57, SD = 4.87), t(62) = 6.89, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.75. Furthermore, serum hepcidin showed a strong positive correlation with CA15-3 (r = 0.62, p < 0.001), CRP (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), and tumor stage (η² = 0.47, p < 0.001), indicating its potential as a prognostic marker. These findings suggest that serum hepcidin may serve as a potential biomarker to monitor disease progression in breast cancer patients. CRP could be a positive-regulator for hepcidin in breast cancer.