Serum copper, zinc levels, and copper. Zinc ratio in healthy women and women with gynecological tumors.

Serum copper and zinc levels were determined in 20 healthy women and in 100 women with gynecological tumors. Malignant and benign tumor cases were separated according to their postoperative, histopathological examinations. The stages of malignant and benign tumors were also established histologically. Seventy benign and 30 malignant genital tumors (carcinoma of cervix in situ, cervix, ovary endometrium, and vulva) of the patients were differentiated histopathologically. The serum Cu/Zn ratios of patients were increased significantly from the control group (0.32 +/- 0.35) to the benign group (1.22 +/- 0.63) and from the benign group to the malignant group (2.24 +/- 1.03). Nine of 30 malignant cases were determined as false negative (30%) and 15 of 70 benign cases were determined as false positive (14.2%) according to the serum Cu/Zn ratios of patients. Serum copper levels of 30 malignant and 10 benign tumor cases showed linear correlation with serum ceruloplasmin values. These results indicate that the serum Cu/Zn ratio may be used as a predictor for the presence of malignant gynecological tumors and its stages.