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PIXE analysis of blood serum of breast cancer patients undergoing successive chemotherapy

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Abstract

Particle induced X-ray emission technique was used to obtain the serum elemental profile of healthy subjects and breast cancer patients (BCPs) undergoing chemotherapy. Concentrations of elements K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Rb, and Sr were determined. The increased levels of Ca, Cr, Fe and Cu and diminished levels of Ti, Zn, and Se observed in BCPs prior to therapy, were restored to near normal levels after the fifth cycle of chemotherapy. This work elicits a unique possibility of identifying novel trace element based anti-tumour drugs for breast cancer.

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Acknowledgements

One of the authors Dr. P. Sarita acknowledges the financial support provided by University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, India for carrying this work under UGC Major Research Project (F. No. 42-831/2013 (SR) dated 22/03/2013). The authors also thank the authorities and staff of Ion Beam Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, for providing the Pelletron accelerator facility and for the technical help. Thanks are due to MGCH&RI, Visakhapatnam for granting permission to collect blood serum samples of BCPs.

Funding

This research is supported by University Grants Commission (UGC), Govt. of India, New Delhi, India in the form a Major Research Project (MRP) sanctioned (F. No. 42-831/2013 (SR) dated 22/03/2013).

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Naidu, B.G., Srikanth, S., Raju, G.J.N. et al. PIXE analysis of blood serum of breast cancer patients undergoing successive chemotherapy. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 323, 1307–1316 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06988-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06988-7

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