PLASMA SELENIUM CONCENTRATION IN PATIENTS WITH STOMACH AND COLON-CANCER IN THE UPPER SILESIA

Plasma selenium concentration was assessed in 44 patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract (19 subjects with stomach cancer and 25 with colon cancer) and 25 age-matched healthy control subjects. Seleni um concentration was determined by the fluorometric method. The observ ed plasma selenium concentrations in gastrointestinal cancer patients (37.0 +/- 11.05 ng Se/ml or 38.4 +/- 12.6 ng Se/ml in stomach or colon cancer patients, respectively) were significantly lower as compared t o the healthy age-matched control group (51.4 +/- 14.4 ng Se/ml). The diagnosed low selenium status may be considered as a high risk for can cer development.