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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Isolation and Characterization of a Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subpopulation Having Stem Cell Characteristics
Published on: May 11, 2016
Serum selenium in head and neck cancer patients--a new marker of tumor activity?
Jens Büntzel1, Oliver Micke, Michael Glatzel
1Department of Otolaryngology, Head Neck Surgery, Südharzkrankenhaus Nordhausen, 99734 Nordhausen, Germany. jens.buentzel@shk-ndh.de
Objective:
The purpose of this work was to investigate the relationship between the tumor volume and the endogenous selenium levels in untreated head and neck cancer patients.
Materials And Methods:
One hundred consecutive patients were included in this study. We measured the endogenous levels of selenium in the serum and the whole blood of all patients by atomic absorption spectrometry. Additionally, the activity of glutathione peroxidase and the concentration of malonedialdehyde were observed. The resectability of the tumor was used as an independent marker of the tumor volume.
Results:
Thirty-one out of 100 patients had resectable tumors, while 69 patients were characterized as unresectable. The following median results were obtained (resectable versus unresectable): Serum Se 0.90 micromol/l versus 0.78 micromol/l (p=0.024); whole blood Se 1.00 micromol/l versus 0.93 micromol/l (p=0.139); glutathione peroxidase 145 U/l versus 148 U/l (p=0.93); and malonedialdehyde 2.21 mmol/l versus 2.6 mmol/l (p=0.84).
Conclusion:
The concentration of serum selenium shows a significant relationship with tumor resectability in patients with advanced head and neck cancer.
