Analysis of blood serum of lung cancer patients using particle induced X-ray emission

Trace elemental imbalance in human beings is postulated to exert action, directly or indirectly, on the carcinogenic process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of trace elements in blood serum samples of lung cancer patients and analyze their alteration with respect to healthy controls. Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE), a well established method for elemental analysis, was used to identify and quantify trace elements in the blood serum samples of the studied groups. The PIXE measurements were carried out using 2.5 MeV collimated proton beam from the 3 MV Tandem Pelletron Accelerator at Ion Beam Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, India. The serum of the cancerous group displayed increased concentrations of Ti, Ni, and Cu but lowered concentrations of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, and Se. Statistically significant differences were found for serum Cr (p < 0.01), Fe (p < 0.0005), Ni (p < 0.05), Cu (p < 0.00005), and Zn (p < 0.0005) between the two studied groups. The copper to zinc ratio for the lung cancer group was 2.24 ± 0.39, which was almost three times the value for normal subjects (0.77 ± 0.14). The observed alterations are discussed with respect to the possible mechanisms by which these elements might influence the carcinogenic process. Significant reduction in mortality from lung cancer can be achieved by advances in early diagnosis and implementation of multidisciplinary treatment programmes leading to improvement of survivorship and better quality of life. It is expected that similar studies from all corners of the world would ultimately lead to the development of novel therapeutic agents to treat lung cancer.