title: Analysis of trace elements in the hair of volunteers suffering from naso-pharyngeal cancer.
abstract: This article describes a study where the trace elements (TEs) of four groups of volunteers were analyzed. The volunteers were divided into four groups A, B, C, and D. Group A was made up of healthy subjects, group B was made up of volunteers who had just been diagnosed as having naso-pharyngeal cancer (NPC), group C was made up of volunteers who had been diagnosed as having NPC after 3 mo of treatment, and group D was made up of volunteers who had been diagnosed as having NPC after 6 mo of treatment. In all groups, 11 trace elements in hair were analyzed. Our study shows that the concentrations of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and cobalt (Co) in group B are less than that of group A, whereas the concentration of titanium (Ti) in group B is higher. Our results also show that the difference in the level of TEs between group A and the other groups is dramatically decreased as the time of the treatment is increased. This may be a reflection of successful treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, P. R. China.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003035:Cobalt / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013324:Strontium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014025:Titanium / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D002857:Chromium; D007854:Lead; D003035:Cobalt; D008345:Manganese; D003300:Copper; D009532:Nickel; D014025:Titanium; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; D001151:Arsenic; D013324:Strontium