The association between Selenium and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) among women; A protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Selenium (Se) may have a protective effect against some selected cancers. Ovarian cancer is ranked as one of the major killers of all gynecological malignancies worldwide. The objective of this study is to find the relationship between selenium intake and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer risk in women who have not had an oophorectomy. Methods: A comprehensive electronic search was carried out according to the prepared strategy from the starting date of the PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Proquest, and Web of Science databases up to 30th of September 2022 without limitations related to language and publication status. Studies were screened by COVIDENCE. Cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional analytical studies, ecological studies, and randomized control studies were included, and descriptive studies were excluded from the systematic review. The exposure of interest is high selenium intake from either food sources or supplements and also high measures of selenium in blood, toenails, or other biological samples, and high measures of serum selenoproteins. Data extraction will be done. New Castle Ottawa Scale will be used to assess the bias of observational studies. The findings will be synthesized first via a narrative description. If data permits results will be displayed via forest plots. All analyses will be conducted using STATA-17. Discussion: Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynecological malignancy among women. Due to the lack of recommended screening tools, the identification of modifiable effective risk factors and preventive tools are essential to reduce ovarian cancer burden. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant, therefore it prevents cell damage. It was proven in some studies that selenium protects against the development of some selected cancers. Therefore it is envisaged to find whether there is an inverse relationship between selenium and ovarian cancer for future preventive strategies. Systematic review registration: Registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO)- CRD42022356472