Dissertation committee:
Αθανασάς Γεώργιος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Σμυρνιώτης Βασίλειος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Δανιάς Νικόλαος, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Πέππα Μελπομένη, Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Πουρνάρας Σπυρίδων, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Τούτουζας Κωνσταντίνος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ψυρρή Διαμάντω, Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: Dyslipidemia and increased cholesterol levels are showed to be positively associated with breast cancer risk. Due to population ageing, breast cancer is expanding at an alarming rate, globally. Therefore, efforts to minimize increased rates of breast cancer are targeting the modifiable risk factors, such as dyslipidemia through dietary and life style modification.
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between dyslipidemia, obesity and lifestyle with breast cancer in pre- and postmenopausal women.
Method and material: In the present epidemiological study, were enrolled 501 premenopausal and postmenopausal women with breast cancer in four public hospital in Athens. Data were collected from the patients' records, from their laboratory tests and from the completion of a specially designed questionnaire, which included characteristics of the patients' lifestyle. The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Of the 501 women enrolled in the study, 34% was over 60 years old. In terms of lipids profile, 50.3% had high total cholesterol levels (240+ mg/dl), 33.5% had high LDL levels (160+ mg/dl), 38.5% had high triglycerides levels (200+mg/dl) and 77.7% had moderate risk HDL levels(41-59mg/dl). Regarding Body Mass Index, weight and overweight/obese was 59.4%. Concerning type of cancer, 52.5% had invasive ductal carcinoma, 32.1% had non-invasive non ductal, 8.6% had invasive lobular carcinoma and 6.8% had non-invasive lobular carcinoma. Women with non-invasive non-ductal carcinoma had higher abnormal values of total cholesterol, p=0.006, triglycerides, p=0.009, and lower HDL values, p=0.005. In terms of non-invasive non-ductal carcinoma, it was more common in women who increased their body weight over 10 kg after menopause, p=0.026, those of primary and secondary education, p <0.001, with comorbidity, p <0.001. Moreover, participants with non-invasive non ductal carcinoma had a larger waist and hip circumference, p=0.007 and p<0.012, respectively, and advanced menopausal age, p=0.099. Regarding, invasive ductal carcinoma, it was more common in smokers, p=0.005, who regularly consumed alcohol, p=0.010 and at younger ages, p<0.001. Concerning lobular carcinoma, the invasive one was more common in women older than 61 years, p<0.001. Longer hospital stay was observed in women with invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast, p <0.008. Women who reported adenoma as a benign breast disease were more likely to develop non-invasive lobular carcinoma, p=0.002 while women with non-invasive lobular carcinoma had a shorter physical exercise time, p=0.039.
Conclusions: Population-based epidemiological data are needed for a more accurate analysis of the association between dyslipidemia and breast cancer development with ultimate goal to provide directions for treatment and prevention of cancer.
Keywords:
Dyslipidemia, Cholesterol, Breast cancer, Risk factors, Women
