STATUS OF PLASMA ELECTROLYTES, UREA, CREATININE, AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN CANCER PATIENTS.

Abstract

Objective: Cancer is a major health problem not only in developed countries but also in developing countries like Nigeria. This study was designed to study the status of plasma electrolytes, urea, creatinine, and C-reative proteins (CRPs) in freshly diagnosed cancer patients.Methods: Plasma electrolytes (sodium [Na+], potassium [K+], chlorine [Cl-], and bicarbonate [HCO3-]), urea, creatinine, and CRP were estimated in four different types of cancer (liver, colon, cervical, and uterine) patients attending Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital Ado Ekiti Nigeria. A total of 250 patients (between age of 45 and 70 years) consisting of 50 patients in each cancer type and 50 normal subjects as control were considered in this study.Results: The result obtained revealed a significant (p<0.05) increase in the plasma levels of Na+, Cl-, creatinine, and CRP in all the cancer types when compared with the control subjects. Plasma urea level decreased significantly in patients with colon (3.16±0.70 mmol/L) and liver (3.03±1.75 mmol/L) cancer when compared with the control subjects (4.80±1.12 mmol/L). K+ and HCO3_ level was not significantly (p>0.05) different in all cancer types when compared with the control subjects.Conclusion: This study revealed a possible link between plasma electrolytes, creatinine, CRP, urea, and cancer which could be useful in the assessment and management of cancer.