[Study of serum levels of magnesium in the patients with malignant tumors].

The main goal of the study was the evaluation of serum levels of magnesium in the practically healthy persons (control group), the patients with different malignant tumors (abdominal, pulmonary, uterus, breast, esophagus, rectum), as well as benign tumors of the breast/the uterus and the inflammatory pulmonary diseases. Content of Mg in blood serum was determined using the method of atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. It has been found that, in comparison with norm (23.9 mkg/ml), there is statistically significant increase in serum mean levels of Mg in the patients with malignant tumors of almost all sites investigated. Abdominal/breast and lung malignant tumors are exclusive from this point of view: we have found that Mg content is near the normal mean levels in the former cases (24.7 mkg/ml and 25.3 mkg/ml, respectively) and below the average normal value in lung malignant tumors (20.5 mkg/ml). It has been ascertained that there is no significant difference between the serum average levels of Mg in the control group and in the patients with pulmonary inflammatory diseases, as well as between the Mg-content in practically health persons and in those with breast benign tumors. Thus, assessment of serum Mg levels seems to be useful in differential diagnosis in oncopulmonary and oncomammology clinics.