Abstract:
Breast cancer is a common disease with major public health implications. Some evidence suggests that prolactin hormone and lipid profiles (Total cholesterol, TG, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol) may acts as predisposing factors for the development and metastasis of breast cancer, through the differentiation and proliferation of breast cells.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate serum prolactin hormone and lipid profiles levels in women with breast cancer, and to correlate serum prolactin hormone and lipid profiles levels with risk factors of breast cancer.
Sixty patients with breast cancer and fifty healthy individuals as control group were enrolled in this study; the study was carried out in radio and isotope center Khartoum (RICK), during the period from February to July 2014. Serum prolactin hormone level in patient group was estimated using ELISA sandwich assay, serum lipid profiles level was estimated by enzymatic method, data analyzed using T-test in SPSS computer program.
The results showed hyperprolactinemia in breast cancer patients (76%), when the age increase there is significant decrease of prolactin hormone (P-value< 0.05). There is significant increase in the mean of Total-C, TG and LDL-cholesterol levels between patients and control (p-value <0.05). The result of HDL-cholesterol showed insignificant difference in the mean between patients and control (p-value >0.05).
In conclusion, prolactin hormone level increased in women with breast cancer and inversely correlated with age.Further investigation is needed to determine the association between prolactin hormone and lipid profiles levels versus breast cancer stage and metastasis.