Table 1.

Trace metal levels reported in the literature for cancerous and noncancerous human tissues using PIXE. The values are in μg/g.

Tissue	Tissue type	Cl	K	Ca	Ti	V	Cr	Mn	Fe	Co	Ni	Cu	Zn	As	Sr	I	Hg	Se	Br	Rb	Pb	Reference
Breast	Normal	3999	1381	157	14.3	—	31.9	18	299	—	7.4	42	56	2.57	6.7	—	—	0.66	9	12	—	[24]
	Cancerous	6815	1550	480	15.9	—	52.7	17.2	376	—	8.56	60.7	126	4.12	13.7	—	—	1.32	16	22	—
Breast (serum)	Normal	—	—	—	416	32	18.6	29.8	291	2.9	7.2	24.6	38.5	0.9	—	—	—	2.5	46	—	—	[34]
	Cancerous	—	—	—	238	19	10	16	355	0.9	5.3	32.3	13	0.69	—	—	—	1.5	23	—	—
	Normal	200	11.6	688	18	4.5	6	17	569	11	8.4	54.9	149	125	11.7	229	98	—	—	—	17
Thyroid	Adenoma	215	18	577	15.9	4.2	36.6	14.4	525	11.6	10.6	6	68.7	17	6.8	222	19.8	—	—	—	11.6	[36]
	Cancerous	234	159	393	103	20	29.8	46.6	1397	17.9	7.7	12.9	71.8	2.8	—	—	7.7	—	—	—	17.8
Kidney	Normal	2911	172	562	22	—	9.3	20.4	325	7.8	9.7	9.1	66	—	—	—	—	1.8	9.8	—	24.7	[40]
	Cancerous	2857	106	298	29	—	8.2	20.9	305	11.6	7.6	8.2	78	1.1	—	—	—	—	8.2	—	24.6
Stomach	Normal	5295	387	647	31	—	7.3	28.6	2408	19.4	10.5	63.5	818	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	8.8	[40]
	Cancerous	2518	256	433	15	—	12.6	15.1	684	15.6	60	21.2	229	1.71	—	—	—	—	3.1	—	8.1
Penis	Normal	3583	38.3	877	15.2	—	4.6	10.3	650	25	—	7.5	58.2	2.1	22	—	—	—	2	—	4.9	[45]
	Carcinoma	2133	57.8	815	16.8	—	2.6	9.2	464	11	—	79.6	148	5.6	16	—	—	—	1.5	—	5.2
Testis	Normal	3301	69	3400	238	—	102	15.6	426.4	3.25	—	3.9	91.7	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	[45]
	Carcinoma	2887	131	2726	257	—	125	15.2	391.9	0.9	—	14.9	34	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—