Transition metals in human cancer II.

Many of the trace metals are associated with enzymes involved in vital physiological roles. It would therefore seem reasonable to expect alterations in the levels of certain elements to be associated with cancer. Secondly, their levels would indicate whether or not they have a direct influence on the proton spin-lattice relaxation time (T1), as determined by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR). The results obtained on leukaemic bone marrow and oesophageal cancer were reported earlier. In the present work is reported the data obtained for the levels of the transition elements Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu in human cancers of other regions of the body. The role of trace metals has been discussed from the point of view both of their value as markers of malignancy, and of the elevation of proton spin-lattice relaxation times.