# zinc and cancer?



## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

After what happened to Blacky I started thinking.

Two years ago we lost another goat to cancer - Clemens. Both showed something interesting in the months/years (2 years with Blacky) before their death.

First of all, this is just a line of thought....

Both goats had for months (1 year) - Clemens resp. years (Blacky) clear signs of zinc deficiency which couldn't be a alleviated with zinc supplementation. 

I'm now wondering if the underlying case of tumor would in some way mess with the zinc resorption and if and untreatable zinc deficiency could be in any way a hint to a cancerous progress within the goat.

Have to do some research on this matter and appreciate any thoughts and ideas or facts you might have.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

I do know that with my problems they have me on doses of zinc as my body has quit metabolizing it very efficiently, so it may be that it's true that zinc deficiency could be a marker for cancer. Or perhaps it's just an effect and not a cause.

Hard to tell without research.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello Carolyn,

I only had time for a short google research but found enought article stating that (human) cancer patients very often have a zink deficiency - the zinc is not absorbed properly or the demand is higher than usual because the tumor cells eat up all the zinc (found in mammary tumors).

And there are some studies indicating that zink deficiency on the other hand also raises the risk to get (esophageal) cancer.

Also that the zinc status can be correlated to the size of a tumor (in patients with head and neck cancer).

And there's a relation to the plasma copper and zinc level ratio in the diagnosis of carcinomas. The ratio is off = higher in patients with carcinomas of the digestive tract.

Seems, that it can go both ways. A zinc deficiency can aid in the development of a cancer but can also be caused by an already existing cancer. Treating a zinc deficiency can help preventing the cancer from spreading further but - in mammary tumors - it was found to accelerate the tumor growth.


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