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Investigation of the effects of chemotherapy on trace element contents in the nails in patients with colorectal cancer

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of cancer treatment with chemotherapy for the trace elements in nails of patients with colorectal cancer. The contents of trace elements in the nails of 102 patients with colorectal cancer (including treated and untreated) and 60 healthy subjects were analyzed using k0-standardization method of neutron activation analysis. All participants aged between 32 and 76. Result of this study showed that the contents of nine trace elements (As, Br, Co, Cr, Hg, Fe, Sc, Se, and Zn) in the nails were measured. Furthermore, this study showed that there was significant difference in the contents of the elements Fe, Se, and Zn in both colon and rectal cancer patient groups between untreated and treated subjects with chemotherapy. We conclude that the contents of Fe, Se, and Zn in the nail samples may be used to evaluate of the colorectal cancer risk, and they may be affected by chemotherapy.

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Acknowledgements

This research is funded by the Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) under Grant number 103.04-2017.311. The authors thank the staff of INAA Lab, Dalat Nuclear Research Institute, supported during neutron irradiation. Thank to doctor—nurses in the Department of Oncology, Dong Nai General Hospital, supported for sample collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Physics, University of Science, VNU-HCM, 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Phuong Truc Huynh & Loan Thi Hong Truong

  2. Department of Oncology, Dong Nai General Hospital, Bien Hoa City, Vietnam

    Binh Thanh Dinh

  3. Nuclear Technique Laboratory, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Linh Thi Truc Nguyen & Loan Thi Hong Truong

  4. Department of Radiotherapy Techniuques, Oncology Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Hanh Van Nguyen

  5. Center for Nuclear Techniques, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Dung Manh Ho

  6. Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Science, VNU-HCM, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Dong Van Nguyen

  7. Nuclear Research Institute, Da Lat City, Vietnam

    Anh Tuan Tran

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  1. Phuong Truc Huynh
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  2. Binh Thanh Dinh
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  7. Dong Van Nguyen
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  8. Anh Tuan Tran
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Huynh Truc Phuong, Tran Tuan Anh, and Nguyen Thi Truc Linh. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Huynh Truc Phuong and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Phuong Truc Huynh.

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Huynh, P.T., Dinh, B.T., Nguyen, L.T.T. et al. Investigation of the effects of chemotherapy on trace element contents in the nails in patients with colorectal cancer. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 328, 1173–1180 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-021-07734-8

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