Total Serum Cholesterol Level in Cases of Carcinoma Breast – A Correlative Study

Aims and Objective: Correlation between serum cholesterol level and risk of breast cancer. Material and Methods: Fifty histologically diagnosed breast cancer patients were included in the study. Patients were grouped according to the size, histological type of the tumor and lymph node involvement. Patient's total serum cholesterol levels were measured a week prior to the operation and on the 14th day post-operatively. Fifty age-matched non-cancer females were treated as a control. Observations: The pre and postoperative mean total serum cholesterol (MTSC) was found to be 272.3 ± 43.4mg/dl and 210.54 ± 31.5mg/dl respectively. An MTSC level in fifty control cases was found to be 183.42 ± 34.4mg/dl. Patients with tumor size less than 5cms showed pre-operative mean serum cholesterol levels of 261.6 ± 36.5mg/dl and a post-operative value of 201.9 ± 16.9mg/dl while those with tumor size more than 10cms showed a mean serum cholesterol level of 282.36 ± 64.8mg/dl pre-operatively and 211.82 ± 53.15mg/dl post-operatively. Thirty patients with scirrhous type of carcinoma had a pre-operative mean serum cholesterol level as 237.36mg/dL, and twelve patients with a colloid type of carcinoma showed a pre-operative level of 294.9 ± 18.4mg/dL whereas eight patients with medullary type of carcinoma showed the highest preoperative level of 324.3 ± 19.8mg/dL, whereas the corresponding postoperative values were 202.9 ± 30.0mg, 216.8 ± 27.8mg and 229.4 ± 29.8mg respectively. Conclusions: The present study helps us to conclude that dietary habits affect the association of cholesterol in breast cancer and size, histology with tumor metastasis effects such relationship.