Study of Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidants Status in Breast Cancer

Abstract

Carcinoma of the breast is a major health problem. It is one ofthe leading cause's ofdeath among women all over the world, with about one million new breast cancer cases diagnosed per year. It is a complex disorder in which gene-environment interaction plays a significant • pathogenic role. Many researches showed that environmental factors exert their effect via increased production ofROS. Altho1;1gh the incidence of breast cancer is increasing, knowledge about its early detection, progression and spread is inadequate. The basic difficulty in treatment is its late detection and rapid. spread to other organs. The present clinical approaches for cancer' ,' diagnosis and management are useful in advanced stages of the disease. In view of this problem, the availability of blood based biochemical marker& would be of immense help. Plasma lipid level reflects dietary intake in individuals. There are several reports of elevated plasma lipid levels such as Tc, TG; HOLe and LDLc in breast cancer patients. There are some primary antioxidants such as erythrocyte SOD and CAT enzymes which protect against cellular damage caused by ROS. Deficient function of antioxidant system may also be involved in carcmogenes1s. This study was done to evaluate the role of some antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase and catalase and the extent of lipid peroxidation in breast cancer patients. This study was carried out on 60 subjects:41 breast cancer patients and 19 healthy female subjects served as controls.