BACKGROUNDTo investigate the contents of trace elements in benign lung tissue, lung cancer tissue and paracancerous tissue of patients with lung cancer and their rule of variation.

METHODSAtomic absorption spectrometry was used to measure the contents of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), cuprum (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in lung cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues from 19 lung cancer patients and 9 patients with benign pulmonary diseases. The ratio of a certain element's content in cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues was applied to evaluate the role of the element in tumor generation and development.

RESULTSThe contents of Cu, Pb in cancer tissues were higher than those in paracancerous tissues, and the contents in paracancerous tissues were higher than those in benign tissues; The contents of Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni and Zn were in cancer tissues than those in paracancerous tissues. Pb showed significant accumulation in cancer tissues, while Ni showed significant accumulation in paracancerous tissues.

CONCLUSIONSSignificant differences of the contents of trace elements are found among the different lung tissues, and this result indicates that the change of trace elements' contents is related to the generation and development of lung cancer.