Abstract

Cancer is a life threatening disease. Many people die of cancer every year. Epidemiological studies suggest that alteration of trace elements in the body can contribute to the development of cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), iron (Fe) and magnesium (Mg) in the blood, hair and nails of lymphoma and esophageal cancer (EC) patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The results reveal that the mean concentration of Cu, Pb and Ni increased significantly, while the concentration of Zn, Fe and Mg significantly decreased in the blood, hair and nails of lymphoma and EC patients. From this study it can be concluded that increased Pb, Cu, Ni and decreased Zn, Fe and Mg concentration in lymphoma and esophageal cancer patients suggest that these may play some role in carcinogenesis.

Key Words: Trace elements, lymphoma, esophageal cancer.