Appraisal of Trace Elements and Heavy Metals Levels in Breast Cancer Patients of Basrah Province

We know that metals are linked to a number of health problems such as constipation, abdominal pain, according to previous reports and lack of appetite, sickness, wakefulness, annoyance, irascibility, giddiness and encephalopathy. However, recent studies have found correlation between cancer and some toxic metals concentration in patients body. Most carcinogegenic metals are Cd, Pb and Hg. Objective: Current study was aimed to determine the concentrations of some metals(Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, Cu and Zn) in whole blood, serum and hair of breast cancer patients in Basrah city, South of Iraq. Methods: Sample of whole blood, serum and hair were obtained from 60 breast cancer patients, the same samples were collected from 25 people without cancer as control group. Concentrations of heavy metals were carried out using ICP MS (an inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrophotometer). Results: Concentrations of toxic metal such as Cd and Hg occurred at low level in three tissues while Zn occurred at higher concentrations. Pb concentration in the whole blood sample was 22.36 ug/l, Cr: 6.63, cu: 42.35.ug/g, serum of patients accumulating higher concentrations of Hg, Cr, Cu and Cd than in the whole blood sample. Even as Pb and Zn concentrations were high in whole blood. Conversely, hair sample of breast cancer patient accumulated significantly higher concentrations of Hg. Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn compared to other tissues. Positive correlations were recorded between Cd and Pb (r = 0.46), Zn with Cr, Cu and Hg (r = 0.78, 0.56, 0.88) respectively. Conclusion: High concentrations of Hg, Cr, Cu, Cd and Pb were detected in whole blood, serum and hair of breast cancer patients relative with other control group. Hair samples accumulated the high level of Cd,Cu,Cr,Hg,Pb,and Zn in comparison with whole blood and serum of blood cancer patients.