UNLABELLED: Reduced serum-zinc concentrations are well known as typical laboratory characteristics in advanced head and neck cancer. Our aim was to follow the development of this phenomenon during the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 21 patients were included in this pilot-study (1 female, 20 male). The median age was 64 years, range 43-80 years. The following tumour localizations were registered: 11 larynx, 4 oropharynx, 2 hypopharynx and 4 other. Serum zinc levels were registered at baseline and during the follow-up investigations using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 17 months, range 6-43 months. During the follow-up, 9/21 patients died tumour-dependently, 2 patients were living with cancer, 8 patients showed NED, and a further 2 patients died of non-cancer related causes. The zinc concentration decreased from 0.76 mmol/l (0.48-1.07 mmol/l) to 0.55 mmol/l (0.32-1.01 mmol/l). Nine of 11 patients with cancer developed extremely low serum zinc concentration 4-6 weeks before dying. CONCLUSION: The serum zinc concentration may be a marker for definitive palliative situations in head and neck cancer patients.
UNLABELLED: Reduced serum-zinc concentrations are well known as typical laboratory characteristics in advanced head and neck cancer. Our aim was to follow the development of this phenomenon during the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 21 patients were included in this pilot-study (1 female, 20 male). The median age was 64 years, range 43-80 years. The following tumour localizations were registered: 11 larynx, 4 oropharynx, 2 hypopharynx and 4 other. Serum zinc levels were registered at baseline and during the follow-up investigations using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 17 months, range 6-43 months. During the follow-up, 9/21 patients died tumour-dependently, 2 patients were living with cancer, 8 patients showed NED, and a further 2 patients died of non-cancer related causes. The zinc concentration decreased from 0.76 mmol/l (0.48-1.07 mmol/l) to 0.55 mmol/l (0.32-1.01 mmol/l). Nine of 11 patients with cancer developed extremely low serum zinc concentration 4-6 weeks before dying. CONCLUSION: The serum zinc concentration may be a marker for definitive palliative situations in head and neck cancerpatients.
Authors: Erica John; Thomas C Laskow; William J Buchser; Bruce R Pitt; Per H Basse; Lisa H Butterfield; Pawel Kalinski; Michael T Lotze Journal: J Transl Med Date: 2010-11-18 Impact factor: 5.531
Authors: Shao-Gui Wan; Cristian Taccioli; Yubao Jiang; Hongping Chen; Karl J Smalley; Kun Huang; Xiu-Ping Liu; John L Farber; Carlo M Croce; Louise Y Y Fong Journal: Int J Cancer Date: 2010-11-09 Impact factor: 7.396
Authors: Ji Young Yoo; Jun-Ge Yu; Azeem Kaka; Quintin Pan; Pawan Kumar; Bhavna Kumar; Jianying Zhang; Andrew Mazar; Theodoros N Teknos; Balveen Kaur; Matthew O Old Journal: Mol Ther Oncolytics Date: 2015-05-20 Impact factor: 7.200