Oxidative stress, a consequence of an imbalance between the formation and inactivation of reactive oxygen species, may be involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases including cancer. To evaluate the magnitude of oxidative stress, a study on the plasma levels of superoxide dismutase, total thiols, ascorbic acid and malondialdehyde (MDA) has been done in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients before the start of any oncological treatment and compared with healthy controls. Our findings show that the oxidative stress is elevated in cancer patients as evidenced by elevated levels of lipid peroxidation products and depletion of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants.
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