Heavy metals are considered as causative role to developing cancers. In this context, lead(Pb) with its effects may have a great concern. The aim of this study is to compare the lead levels in blood of healthy subjects and patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

In a case-control study between March 2016 to February 2017 blood levels of Lead were assessed. Patients with upper and lower gastrointestinal cancers were enrolled in this study. Patients were matched for sex and age with healthy subjects as control group. The plasma of each subject was used. A classic Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS) method was applied in this study.

One hundred patients as well as control group were enrolled in our study. The mean age of patients was 53.8±10.6 years old. Of them 51 were male (51%). We defined that the level of Pb in both group were lower than toxic levels. The medians of Pb concentration in the two groups were not significantly different particularly by gender ,age and history of smoking . Among patients its concentration was significantly different according to types of cancer (P-value=0.003) as well as upper or lower location of lesions (P-value=0.003).

It can be hypothesis that lead may influence on developing and advancing of gastrointestinal cancers in susceptible subjects hence tissue evaluation should be considered .