RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The aim: To determine the accumulation of heavy metals, namely Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn by a tumour in correlation with unaffected colon tissue and blood of patients with colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The study is based on the results of observation of 180 patients with CRC. The following samples were taken from: the tumor, the colon and blood unaffected by the tumor - during the operative treatment of patients in the surgical department of the communal non-profit enterprise "Precarpathian Clinical Oncology Center of the Ivano-Frankivsk regional council" for 2018-2020. RESULTS: Results: According to the obtained results, the blood of patients with CRC contains much less heavy metals: Pb - 8.6 and 9.3 times less than in the tumour and unaffected by cancer colon, respectively; Cr - 9 and 14.8 times less; Cd - 3.75 and 5 times less; Cu - 1.48 and 1.18 times less than in the tumour and unaffected colon, respectively. Besides, the content of Zn in the blood is 1.04 times higher than in non-cancerous tissue of the colon. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: It can be stated that the highest content of Pb, Cr and Cd was recorded in non-cancerous tissue of the colon of patients with CRC; the highest content of Zn and Cu was revealed tumour tissue.
