Essential- (Cobalt, Chromium, Molybdenium and Nickel) And Non-Essential- (Aluminium, Beryllium and Boron) Heavy Metals in Patients with Breast- or Cervical- Cancer.

Abstract

Background: There are 23 heavy metals with wide environmental distribution and known to induce multiple organ damage even at low levels of exposure. Despite high degree of toxicity and public health significance of heavy metals, their toxicity depends on dose, route, host age, gender or organ type. However, nickel, chromium, cobalt, beryllium, molybdenum, boron and aluminium are less studied in cancers. Objectives: To determine plasma concentrations of essential (cobalt, chromium, molybdenum and nickel) and non-essential (aluminium, beryllium and boron) heavy metals in Nigerian females with breast- or cervical- cancer. Method: This study was undertaken to determine plasma cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, aluminium, beryllium, nickel and boron in 30 breast cancer patients and 30 cervical cancer patients attending University Teaching Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria; and 30 healthy female control using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Descriptive statistics was done, with statistical significance set at p≤ 0.05. Results: The mean plasma cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, aluminium, beryllium, nickel and boron were not significantly increased in cervical cancer patients or significantly decreased in breast cancer patients compared with healthy female control. However, the mean plasma cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, aluminium, beryllium and boron were significantly increased in cervical cancer patients compared with breast cancer patients. When stage 2 cervical cancer patients was compared with stage 2 of breast cancer, the mean plasma cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, aluminium, beryllium and boron were significantly increased in cervical cancer patients compared with stage 2 breast cancer patients. Conclusion: This study revealed that concentrations of heavy metals vary with cancer types.  Therefore, differential nutritional supports and chelation therapy for the management of cancer patients will be needed for different cancers.