Lipid Profile in Female Breast Cancer: a study from Kerala, South India.

The incidence of breast cancer is on the rise in India.Exposure levels and prevalence of established risk factors may be different in developing and developed nations. The role of dyslipidemia in breast cancer initiation is not completely understood. This study aims to compare the serum lipid levels in female breast cancer patients with normal healthy controls in a rural district in Kerala. Materials and Methods Fasting lipid profile of 113 histologically proven female breast cancer patients and 88 healthy females were studied. Statistical analysis were performed using SPSS version 16. Results The median age at diagnosis of breast cancer in the study population was 48 years (Standard deviation 10.04). The youngest patient was aged 27 years, and the oldest patient, 82 years. 56.63% (64 out of 113) of the patients were postmenopausal. High levels of Low density lipoprotein (LDL), Triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) were observed in breast cancer patients compared to healthy control. Conclusion This study supports the hypothesis that total cholesterol, LDL-C and triglycerides are important risk factors in the development of breast cancer. Higher consumption of animal fat and red meat, make the population of Kerala prone to a host of diseases, among them the development of breast cancer.