Serum selenium in head and neck cancer patients--a new marker of tumor activity?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this work was to investigate the relationship between the tumor volume and the endogenous selenium levels in untreated head and neck cancer patients.


METHODS
One hundred consecutive patients were included in this study. We measured the endogenous levels of selenium in the serum and the whole blood of all patients by atomic absorption spectrometry. Additionally, the activity of glutathione peroxidase and the concentration of malonedialdehyde were observed. The resectability of the tumor was used as an independent marker of the tumor volume.


RESULTS
Thirty-one out of 100 patients had resectable tumors, while 69 patients were characterized as unresectable. The following median results were obtained (resectable versus unresectable): Serum Se 0.90 micromol/l versus 0.78 micromol/l (p=0.024); whole blood Se 1.00 micromol/l versus 0.93 micromol/l (p=0.139); glutathione peroxidase 145 U/l versus 148 U/l (p=0.93); and malonedialdehyde 2.21 mmol/l versus 2.6 mmol/l (p=0.84).


CONCLUSIONS
The concentration of serum selenium shows a significant relationship with tumor resectability in patients with advanced head and neck cancer.
Büntzel
Jens
J
Department of Otolaryngology, Head Neck Surgery, Südharzkrankenhaus Nordhausen, 99734 Nordhausen, Germany. jens.buentzel@shk-ndh.de
Micke
Oliver
O
Glatzel
Michael
M
Fröhlich
Dietmar
D
Bruns
Frank
F
Mücke
Ralph
R
Schönekaes
Klaus G
KG
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012643:Selenium