The variation of relative contents of some typical trace elements in normal breast tissues

benign breast tumor tissues and breast cancer tissues is studied by the synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence(SR-XRF) technique.According to the results of SR-XRF

there exist the same kinds of trace elements in various breast tissues

but their relative contents are different.The differences for Ca

Fe and Zn are obvious between normal and breast tumor tissues.Comparing the contents of elements in breast tumor tissues with normal ones

S

Cr

Mn

Ni

Cu and Se are found to be of positive correlation

i.e.their contents in tumor tissues are increased;but K and Ca are of negative correlation.The contents of P in normal breast tissues are the same as in benign tissues

but a little decreasing in malignant ones.However

such correlation is positive for Fe and Zn in cancerous tissues

and negative in benign tissues.The above differences might be used to characterize changes that take place as breast tissues become diseased.