DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2789-6919/56/89-93
Agil Orujov
Azerbaijan Medical University
PhD in Biology
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1826-3816
agilo@rambler.ru
Pusta Zeynalzada
Azerbaijan Medical University
Master’s student
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3741-7383
pustezeynalzade@gmail.com
Evaluation of Serum Copper and Zinc Levels and the
Cu/Zn Ratio in Breast Cancer
Abstract
Based on statistical data, breast cancer is currently the second most common oncological disease. Despite the rapid development of biology and medical sciences and the significant scientific and technological achievements in these fields, breast cancer remains a major problem that concerns humanity. Therefore, this disease continues to be a primary focus of biomedical research. Breast cancer arises from various factors and often associated with disturbances in trace element metabolism/ several studies and meta-analyses have reported changes in the concentrations of essential trace elements, such as copper and zinc, in the blood serum of breast cancer patients. The main aim of the present study is to investigate the trace element status of patients with malignant breast tumors. For this purpose, the levels of copper and zinc in blood serum samples were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the copper to zinc ratio was calculated and compared with the corresponding values of a control group. The results indicate that these measurements may serve as potential biomarker for diagnostic and prognostic purposes, as well as for monitoring the treatment process.
Keywords: breast cancer, copper, zinc, Cu/Zn ratio