A STUDY OF BREAST CANCER IN SUDANESE FEMALES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PROLACTIN HORMONE

Abstract

A study group of 33 Sudanese patients with breast cancer females attending at the Radioisotopes Khartoum Center (RICK) during the period of January-September 2005 were enrolled in the study. The patients had an age range of 32-88year with an average value of 56±2.7year. All patients had been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) except one that had invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). A sample of 20 healthy subjects was enrolled as a control group (41.5 ±1.6year). Blood samples were taken from all patients, and control subjects to estimate CA15-3 and Prolactin hormone. The study indicated that 70% of patients had breast pain or change of breast size/shape for three month or more. Only 28% of patients had a family history of breast cancer.CA15-3 was determined by RIA using two monoclonal antibodies and two different epitomes CA15-3 molecule as the level of Prolactin hormone had been estimated using ELISA. Accordingly the average value of CA15-3 in female patients (24.9±6.3U/mL) was significantly higher when compared with CA15-3 in control subjects (16.7±1.2U/mL), (P<0.05). Correlation analysis suggested that CA15-3 level had not been related with age of patients or healthy subjects but CA15-3 had significantly been reduced by surgical treatment of patients (14.60±0.97U/mL) unlike chemotherapy (60±23.4U/mL). With reference to analysis of Prolactin, an average value of 375.9± 33.4U/L had been determined in patients compared with a significantly reduced value of Prolactin (292.7±39.6U/L) in healthy control subjects. A significantly high level of Prolactin (P<0.05) was recorded in iv patients treated by surgery unlike the group of patients treated by chemotherapy. Correlation analysis of Prolactin level with variation in variables such as CA15-3 concentration, age, frequency of pregnancies and number of children failed to find any significant association. The study recommends the use of CA15-3 as a screening test for females at risk of breast cancer.