Abstract

In the most countries of the world, breast cancer ranks first in the structure of oncological morbidity in women. The etiology of this disease remains largely unclear, although it is known that disturbances of somatic elemental homeostasis play a certain role in oncogenesis. The aim of this study was to identify changes in the content of 35 trace elements during malignant transformation of breast tissue. For this purpose, we used the previously developed method of sample preparation, which allows determining the content of 35 trace elements in micro samples of breast tissue by using mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. Using the developed technique, samples of cancerous and visually intact breast tissue adjacent to tumor were examined. The present study revealed a significant increase in the content of Al, As, Cd, Co, Cs, Cu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Nd, Rb, Se, Sn. Sr. Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, Zn and Zr in breast tissue during its malignant transformation. The detected multiple increase in the content of many trace elements in cancer tissue compared to adjacent intact breast tissue can be used to develop new methods for in vitro and in vivo cancer diagnostics, in which the ratios of trace element levels in these tissues will act as tumor markers. Further deeper study and understanding of the detected phenomenon will allow the development of new methods for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Keywords

breast cancer, trace elements, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; cancerous tissue; visually intact breast tissue adjacent to tumor