Iron Status, Erythropoietin, and Cancer Incidence in the General Population

BACKGROUND: Iron is essential for cellular function and cancer growth. While iron imbalance has been implicated in cancer development, epidemiological evidence remains inconsistent. Erythropoietin (EPO) may influence tumour progression. We aimed to investigate the associations between iron status, EPO levels, and cancer incidence in the general population. METHOD: Data were obtained from 6109 participants (mean age 52 ± 12 years; 49% male) in the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-stage Disease (PREVEND) cohort. Iron biomarkers, including ferritin, transferrin saturation, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), hepcidin and EPO levels, were measured at baseline. RESULTS: . In non-smokers, higher sTfR and EPO were associated with increased overall and kidney cancer. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the putative roles of iron metabolism and EPO in cancer, with consistently decreased risks associated with elevated hepcidin levels, particularly among women and individuals with lower BMI.