Copper is essential to all living beings, as a food mineral, being an essential component of the cytochromoxidase enzymes complex. It is also an essential component of several systems involved in the production of hemoglobin, of sugar metabolism, of catecholamines’ synthesis and in the formation of cross-links between collagen, elastin and keratin fibers within the hair. The dysregulation of copper through impaired absorption or excretion, either genetically based or in acute or chronic poisoning, results in deficiency or toxicity. For this reason, the measurement of copper levels in various biological samples: urine, blood, or hair, provides the physician with information regarding contamination, poisoning, or a metabolic disease. Due to low concentrations in most heavy metals’ and metalloids’ cases, finding traces in biological samples is a difficult problem. Classical methods (staining, flame photometry, reagent kits, electrochemical methods) can only be used for a limited number of elements, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. The analysis of biological samples is the most important use of graphite furnace atomization. The advantages of using this technique are its great sensitivity and the very low quantity of sample necessary for performing the measurement. In modern medicine, determining microelements is very important in diagnosing diseases and/or in treating them. The GF- AAS method is quick, reproductible and has very good sensitivity.
: Background: More than half of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer are unresponsive to first-line chemotherapy. To date, there is no standard second-line regimen; new agents, such as immune-checkpoint inhibitors or anti-Neurotrophic Tropomyosin-Related Kinas agents, have only been recently recommended. This study aimed to assess the benefits of classical second-line chemotherapy in terms of survival and tolerance. Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis assessed the benefits and tolerance of different second-line regimens of chemotherapy in progressive, locally advanced or metastatic oesophageal cancer treated at the department of Radiotherapy-Oncology at the Institute of Oncology between January 2011 and January 2017. Results: The analysis found 87 patient files with a median age 59.5 years (ranging between 41 and 84), of which 40.2% (35 patients) failed the first-line platinum and 5- fluorouracil combination. Histology favoured adenocarcinomas (63.2%). The patients were in good clinical condition, with ECOG 0–1 in 86.1% (74 patients), and less than five percent had more than three metastatic sites (3.4%, 3 patients). The regimens were mostly two-drug cytotoxic (53.9%, 47 patients): FOLFIRI in 18 patients (20.7%), FOLFOX in 18 patients (20.7%), vinorelbine–platinum combination in 11 patients (12.6%), and docetaxel in 40 patients (38.7%). The median treatment duration was 7.74 weeks (range 1 to 12). The general response rate was 47.1% (41 patients), including stable disease. The median time to progression was 7.61 weeks, with a range between 1.6 and 8.6 weeks, with no differences in this respect among the fourth type of treatment received (p = 0.170). Grade 3–4 toxicities, including neutropenia, gastrointestinal problems, and metabolic disorders, were observed in 44 patients (50.6%). The median event-free survival was 2 months (range between 1 and 6.3), and 63.2% (55 patients) subsequently received a third line of chemotherapy. Conclusion: Second-line chemotherapy is still the first-choice recommendation in all fit patients with advanced oesophageal cancer. The new agents are efficacious only in cases with PD-L1 positive or high microsatellite instability.
