TISSUE TRACE ELEMENTS IN PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER

Fifty adult patients with head and neck cancer were evaluated for zinc and copper values of normal and tumor tissues. The mean zinc level of tissues with cancer was 2.938 mgr /100 mgr whereas it was 2.028 mgr/100 mgr for normal tissues. The difference was significant statistically. The mean copper value was significantly higher in tumor tissues (mean 1.002. mgr/100 mgr) than in normal tissues (0.943 mgr/100 mgr) (p<0.001).