Colon tissue concentrations of copper, iron, selenium, and zinc in colorectal carcinoma patients

Concentration of four trace elements (copper, zinc, iron, and selenium) was determined in colon tissue from twenty-three patients with colorectal cancer. The tissue samples were dried and dissolved using microwave-assisted digestion technique. The content of trace elements was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. No significant differences between Zn levels in normal and cancerous tissues were observed. However, the levels of Cu, Fe, and Se were significantly higher in cancerous tissues than in the control samples.