title: Screening of trace elements in hair of the female population with different types of cancers in Wielkopolska region of Poland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer constitutes a major health problem worldwide. Thus, search for reliable and practical markers of the disease process remains the key issue of the diagnostic process.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study aims at linking the trace element status of an organism, assessed by hair analysis, with the occurrence of cancer diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hair samples were collected from 299 patients with cancer diseases confirmed by a histopathological test and from 100 controls. Cancer patients were divided into three groups, depending on cancer type: hormone-dependent cancer, cancer of the alimentary tract, and cancer with high glycolytic activity. Mineral element analysis of hair was performed using an atomic emission spectrophotometer with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistically significantly lower concentrations of selenium, zinc, copper, germanium and boron, iron, and magnesium were observed in the three groups of cancer patients. Disturbance in the axis glucose-insulin and changes in concentrations of heavy metals and toxic elements were also noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems safe to conclude that our results confirmed usefulness of hair element analysis in screening tests for the assessment of the biomarker of various cancer diseases in a female population.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pharmacology and Pharmacoeconomics, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Zolnierska 48, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland ; Department of Pharmacology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants, Wojska Polskiego 71b, 60-630 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Czerny
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pharmacology and Pharmacoeconomics, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Zolnierska 48, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krupka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants, Wojska Polskiego 71b, 60-630 Poznan, Poland ; Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Plant Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Święty Marii Magdaleny 14, 61-861 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ożarowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants, Wojska Polskiego 71b, 60-630 Poznan, Poland ; Division of Perinatology and Women's Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33, 60-535 Poznan, Poland ; Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33, 60-535 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seremak-Mrozikiewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006019:Glycolysis; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011044:Poland; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D014131:Trace Elements