title: Increased serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides in the progression of breast cancer.
abstract: The course of serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides was investigated in patients with advanced breast cancer. The patients studied were divided into two groups according to their clinical status: group-I consisted of 51 patients who already had metastases at the start of the investigation, but progressed further during the time of observation; group-II consisted of 14 patients in remission who experienced recurrence of disease while under observation. In group-I, 28 patients (54.9%) were found to have normal serum triglyceride levels at the beginning of the observation period; 22 patients (78.6%) from this group experienced a significant (P less than 0.0001) increase above the normal range upon further disease progression. Similarly, serum cholesterol levels were normal in 32 patients (62.8%) at the start of the investigation, but increased significantly (P less than 0.0001) above the normal range upon disease progression. In group-II, 8 patients (57.2%) had normal serum triglyceride levels at the beginning of the observation period, but the levels increased in 4 patients (50%) significantly (P less than 0.005) upon the occurrence of metastases. Within the same group, a significant increase (P less than 0.001) of initially normal serum cholesterol levels was found in 4 (44.9%) out of 9 patients. In summary, a rise in serum levels of triglycerides and/or cholesterol should receive increased attention and could indicate progression or recurrence of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: II. Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Zielinski
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stuller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rausch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol