The content and distribution of trace elements in normal, benign and cancerous breast tissues

Abstract

The relative content, distribution and relation of trace elements (such as Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Ni) in normal, benign and malign breast tissue are analyzed, and their changes affect to the progress of tumor growth and the difference of tumor are studied. The trace elements in the breast tissue of healthy, patients women with benign or malignant tumors are measured with X-ray fluorescence analysis based on synchrotron radiation at Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. The relative contents of trace elements in three kinds of tissue are extremely different. The relative contents of Zn and Fe in the malign breast tissue are obvious higher than that of the normal and benign tissue, while the relative contents of Zn and Fe in the benign tissue is lower than that of the normal one. The relative content of Cu in normal tissue is lower than that of tumor tissue, which is equal. The contents of Ca and K in the healthy breast tissue are obvious higher than that of the diseased tissue. The content of S, Cr, Mn, Ni and Se in the normal tissue is lower than in malign tissue but highest in the benign tissue. There is negative correlation of relative content of P, which is the equal content in the normal and benign tissue is higher than that of malign tissue. Cu and Zn is a part of antagonism trace element in body, as well as Zn and Se. Their ratio can show the progress of tumor growth. Cu can adjust the metabolizability of Fe, which is related to tumor by promoting the translation and multiplication of free radical, so Cu/Fe can be the sign of tumor progress. The distribution of trace elements is centralization in malign tissue and diffuseness in benign tissue. Both the relative content and the relationship of the trace element are different in the tissue of normal, benign, malignant tumor of breast. Those changes can show the cancerous character of breast tissue.