Abstract
Abnormal tissue levels of certain trace elements such as zinc (Zn) were reported in various types of cancer. Little is known about the role of Zn in osteosarcoma. Using confocal synchrotron radiation micro X‐ray fluorescence analysis, we characterized the spatial distribution of Zn in high‐grade sclerosing osteosarcoma of nine patients (four women/five men; seven knee/one humerus/one femur) following chemotherapy and wide surgical resection. Levels were compared with adjacent normal tissue. Quantitative backscattered electron imaging as well as histological examinations was also performed. On average, the ratio of medians of Zn count rates (normalized to calcium) in mineralized tumor tissue was about six times higher than in normal tissue. There was no difference in Zn levels between tumor fraction areas with a low fraction and a high fraction of mineralized tissue, which were clearly depicted using quantitative backscattered electron imaging. Moreover, we found no correlation between the Zn values and the type of tumor regression according to the Salzer‐Kuntschik grading. The underlying mechanism of Zn accumulation remains unclear. Given the emerging data on the role of trace elements in other types of cancer, our novel results warrant further studies on the role of trace elements in bone cancer. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. X‐Ray Spectrometry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Highlights
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor with a peak incidence in childhood and adolescence frequently occurring at sites of rapid bone growth[1] with a second smaller incidence peak in the elderly
The regions of interest (ROIs) 1 contains both tumor tissue and healthy bone: The classification of the regions is given in the quantitative backscattered electron imaging (qBEI) image (Fig. 3a); one can see that the mineralization and the Ca content are distinctly lower in the healthy part than in the tumor area (Fig. 3b)
The Zn fraction distribution of the healthy and tumorous areas are clearly separated, and Zn content in the tumorous areas is a lot higher in the osteosarcoma tissue compared with the surrounding healthy tissue
Summary
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor with a peak incidence in childhood and adolescence frequently occurring at sites of rapid bone growth[1] with a second smaller incidence peak in the elderly. Trace elements have recently become a field of interest in various physiological as well as disease processes and especially cancer.[5,6,7] It was found that trace element levels differ between normal and cancerous tissue.[7,8,9,10] novel approaches using trace elements to treat cancer have recently emerged.[11]
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