Trace metal levels in cancer of the breast

Twenty sample pairs of cancerous and noncancerous tissue from the human breast were analyzed for trace metals. Samples were dissolved by wet digestion with ultrapure grade nitric and perchloric acids. The sample solutions was analyzed by conventional atomic absorption for calcium and magnesium. Ten other elements--iron, zinc, copper, lead, calcium, manganese, chromium, silver, strontium and aluminum--were determined in the solution by the graphite furnace technique. Magnesium and zinc levels were significantly higher in the cancerous than in the noncancerous tissue.