[Application of multifactorial statistical calculation in research for a correlation between lipid soluble vitamins and cancer].

The aim of this work was to combine computer methodology applied to multi-factorial statistical calculations with liquid chromatography results on the analysis of serum levels of retinol, bêta-carotene and tocopherols in healthy subjects and in patients with various cancers associated with certain tumor markers. Our results show that the serum levels of the vitamins studied differed in cancer patients in comparison to healthy controls. These results also confirm published data showing that serum variations are generally not characteristic of a specific tumor localization, without indicating if these variations are a cause or an effect of tumor development. Computerized multifactorial analysis taking into account the levels of all vitamins and tumor markers chosen, however, enabled us to classify the different tumors in five groups: cancers of the nervous system, urogenital tract cancers, laryngo-pulmonary cancers and two groups of digestive system cancers. This new approach may lead to the constitution of a data bank on the localization of tumors, as well as a reference system for all analyses of serum levels of vitamins associated with tumor markers.