Differences between 66 Chemical Element Contents in Normal and Cancerous Prostate

Abstract

Prostate cancer is an internationally important health problem in man, particularly in developed countries. The aim of this exploratory study was to clarify the differences between the prostatic levels of chemical elements in patients with malignantly transformed prostate (PCa) and healthy male inhabitance. Prostatic tissue levels of 66 chemical elements were prospectively evaluated in 60 patients with PCa and 37 healthy males. Measurements were performed using a combination of five non-destructive and destructive analytical methods. A significant increase in the mean level of Ag, Al, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Br, Ce, Cr, Cu, Dy, Er, Fe, Gd, Hg, Ho, Li, Mn, Nd, Ni, Pr, Sb, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Tb, Th, Ti, Tl, Tm, Y and Zr accompanied a decrease in the mean level of Ca, Cd, Co, K, Mg, Na, P, Rb, S, Sc, Se, and Zn was observed in the cancerous prostates. It was not found any differences in the mean prostatic level of other chemical elements including Cs, La, Mo, Nb, P, Pb, U, and Yb between PCa patients and healthy males. This work’s results reveal that in malignantly transformed prostate the chemical element metabolism is drastically disturbed.