Serum selenium in patients with ovarian cancer during and after therapy.

Serum concentrations of selenium were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in 40 patients with ovarian cancer in association with and after surgical and cytostatic therapy. Patients with ovarian cancer had significantly (p less than 0.001) lower serum concentrations (mean +/- SE) of selenium (0.93 +/- 0.04 mumol/l) than age-, weight- and place of residence-matched control subjects (1.22 +/- 0.03 mumol/l). In clinical stage IV disease there was a lower serum level of selenium (0.82 +/- 0.07 mumol/l) than in clinical stages I and II combined (1.00 +/- 0.04 mumol/l). Serum selenium concentrations also showed a tendency to follow the outcome of the disease; an increase in patients with remission and a decrease in patients with progressive disease, probably because of nutritional reasons.