Analysis of serum trace elemental content in pre-post chemotherapy breast cancer patients using synchrotron radiation based X-ray fluorescence

Abstract

Synchrotron Radiation induced X-ray Fluorescence (SRXRF), accelerator based analytical technique, was used to analyze the trace elemental content in the serum of pre-post chemotherapy undergoing breast cancer patients (BCPs) and healthy controls (HCs). SRXRF measurements were carried out on beamline-16 (Microprobe X-fluorescence beamline), Indus synchrotron light source, Raja Ramanna center for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore, India. Validation of SRXRF experimental set-up used in the current work was done by using National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard reference material bovine liver (1577c) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reference material-animal blood (A-13) in the same conditions as that of the studied serum samples. Results show the presence of thirteen trace elements (TEs) K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Rb, and Pb in both the groups of BCPs and HCs. Concentrations of TEs K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Cu, Br, and Pb were noticed to be higher in pre-chemotherapy BCPs when compared with HCs while content of TEs Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, Se, and Rb were decreased in pre-chemotherapy BCPs. Furthermore, it was observed that the elevated levels of some TEs decreased after chemotherapy. Observed changes in levels of TEs in pre-post chemotherapy BCPs may play an essential role in carcinogenesis and these TEs may be useful to prepare trace-metal based drugs to treat the BCPs and to improve their survival rates.