A marker for later stage cancer is phosphorous—the two groups did not overlap

Medical Hypotheses

Volume 82, Issue 1, January 2014, Pages 24–25

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987713005148

Measurement of blood phosphorus: A quick and inexpensive method for detection of the existence of cancer in the body. Too good to be true, or forgotten knowledge of the past?

Abstract

The possible elevation of phosphorous (P) in cancer patients blood serum has been reported in the past. This however seems to have passed unnoticed. One hundred individuals, divided into two groups of fifty each, i.e. cancer patients (group A) and healthy individuals (group B), were included in this retrospective study. The incidence of cancer by site in group A was 24% head and neck, 50% non-small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and 26% cervical cancer. In all cancer patients in group A the serum P was over the normal values, in contrast with the normal values of P measured in group B. The mean value of serum P in group A and B were 7.80 (±2.24) and 3.38 (±0.58), respectively (P < 0.001, Mann Whitney test). Increased amount of phosphorus in the blood, when other causes justifying the increase were excluded, should be considered as indicative for the existence of unidentified cancerous lesions.

Corresponding author. Address: Radiation Oncology, Kyvelis 14, Kallitechnoupoli, Rafina 19009, Greece. Tel.: +30 2105831872; fax: +30 2105326418.

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http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=534554

Blood phosphorous:  Its Relation to cancer and anemia,

Thomas Buckman et al; Archives of Internal …, 1924 - archinte.jamanetwork.com

Moraczewski in 1895 demonstarated abnormally low values for total phosphorous content of the whole blood in certain cases of cancers… Groebly (1921) has reported an increase d total phosphorous content of the whole blood in patients suffering from cancer, and at the same time has recognized a relationship between it and the number of red corpuscles per unit volume of blood.  To show this relationship he has made use of what he terms the “phosphorous quotient: represented by the expression of P/R, where P is the total phosphorous, as phosphorous pentoxide in 10 c.c. of who blood and R is the number of millions of red corpuscles in 1 c.mm of blood.  Groebly considered that in normal persons the phosphorous quotient rage3s from 2.64 to 2.92 and that it has a higher value, usually over 3.17 in cases of cancer.  Vorschutz and Vorschutz (1922) have published the results of an investigation in which they state =that although the total phosphorous content of the whole blood may be normal in patients with cancer, the phosphorous quotient of Groebly is uniformly high and is therefore of diagnostic value.