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Breast cancer (B C) is the commonest cancer among women in Sri Lanka and the incidence
is increasing. Various biochemical parameters and risk factors are known to be associated
with B C incidence but the exact etiology remains unexplained. Thus the study attempted to
analyze selected biochemical parameters and risk factors of apparently healthy females,
inorder to compare the findings of a study with the same factors of newly diagnosed BC
patients. Further a questionnaire based study was conducted to gather data on studied risk
factors on B C patients already on treatment.
Consent obtained, age matched apparently healthy females (n=75) participated for the
study. Serum lipid profile, serum LD H and uric acid concentrations, thyroid profile, serum
ferritin, sex hormone concentrations were measured using biochemical and immune assays.
Information on risk factors was gathered using interviewer administered questionnaire and
anthropometric measures were taken by the researcher of apparently healthy females and
breast cancer patients already on treatment(n=100, Ethical approval 28/14).
Average ages at menarche and menopause of apparently healthy females were 13 and 50
years respectively and were not significantly different when compared with B C women on
treatment. Majority of B C and healthy women was married (98%) and has given birth to
>one child and more than 85% of women has breast feed for more than one year. Among
healthy using oral contraceptives for more than one year was observed among 17% and
83% of all has never experienced an abortion. However, the incidence was significantly
high among B C women. None of the healthy women or B C women have used hormone
replacement therapies. Mean BM I, waist circumference (W C), hip circumference (HC),
waist to hip ratio (W:H) and mid upper arm circumference of apparently healthy women
were 23.6 ±2.5 kg/m2, 80.0 ±6.6 cm, 92 ±7.2cm, 0.87 ± 0.1 and 26 ±2.7 cm respectively.
Serum total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LD L-C ), high density
lipoprotein cholesterol (H DL-C), triglyceride (TG ) concentrations and TC : H DL-C of
premenopausal healthy women were 178±23 mg/dL, lll±23m g/dL, 44±8.3mg/dL,
108±45mg/dL and 4.2±0.9 respectively and were not significantly different when compared
to postmenopausal healthy women. Similarly TSH , T3, T4 concentrations were within the
normal reference range.
Median (IQR) CRP of healthy females were 2.4(2.9) mg/L. Serum ferritine of
premenopausal women were significantly lower when compared with postmenopausal
healthy women. Mean uric acid, lactate de hydrogenase (LDH ), H bA lc and cortisol
concentrations were 257 ± 67 pmol/L, 409 ± 104IU/L, 4.62± 1.05% and 78.4±35.0 ng/Ml
respectively.
In conclusion the incidence of abortions, usage of oral contraceptive were significantly high
among breast cancer patients and age of menarche and menopause, parity, age at first child
birth and duration of breast feeding was not significantly different among B C and healthy.
Studied biochemical parameters of apparently healthy women were within the normal range
though serum ferritin of premenopausal women was significantly low compared to
postmenopausal women and was closer to the lower reference range.
