The Association Of Serum Hormones Levels With Both Risk And Prognosis Of Female Breast Cancer

Objective: To investigate the association of serum hormones levels with both risk and prognosis of female breast cancer.Patients and methods:1.Study samples: 105 women with incident breast cancer confirmed by pathologic diagnosis after surgey and 100 randomly selected healthy controls admitted into Shandong Provincial Hospital from January 1998 to January 2004 were enrolled into our study. All of them did not have hepatic, renal or endocritic diseases, and did not use drugs containing hormones in the past three years.Patients: The mean age of 105 patients was 45.3 years old(range 26—77 years old). There were 76 premenopausal patients whose mean age was 42.4 years old(range 26-59 years old) and 29 postmenopausal patients whose mean age was 53 years old(range 41-77 years old).Controls: The mean age of 100 healthy contros was 46.5 years old(range 23-75 years old). There were 64 premenopausal controls whose mean age was 40.3 years old (range 23-53 years old) and 36 postmenopausal controls whose mean age was 57.5 years old (range 43-75 years old).2.Investigating contents: (1) According to risk factors of breast cancer investigated previously, we collected informations of related risk factors of both patients and controls, including age at menarche and first birth, lactation(yes or no), family history of malignant tumors(yes of no), benign breast diseases history(yes or no), smoking and drinking history(yes or no), as well as the clinical pathological characteristics of patients.(2) Blood samples were drawn during the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle for premenopausal participants and randomly for postmenopausal participants. Serum levels of sex hormones(E2, P, T), pituitary hormones(FSH, LH, PRL, TSH) and thyroid hormones(T3, T4) were determined in 105 cases of breast cancer and 100 normal cases by radioimmunoassay.3.Statistical AnalysesAll datas were analyzed by SPSS10.0, including T-tests, Chi-Square Tests, analysis of variance and logistic regression. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:(1) â‘ Sex hormones: In both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, the serum levels of E₂ and T of case group were significantly higher than those of control group; â‘¡Pituitary hormones(TSH was discussed in thyroid hormones group): In premenopausal women, the serum levels of FSH LH and PRL of case group were significantly higher than those of control group; â‘¢Thytoid hormones: The serum levels of T3 and TSH of case group were significantly lower and higher than those of control group respectively.(2) â‘ Sex hormones: In premenopausal status, the adjusted OR comparing the highest versus lowest quartiles of P level was 0.28(95%CI: 0.09～0.89, P_trend=0.038) and the adjusted OR of T level was 3.3(95%CI: 1.15～9.46, P_trend=0.040). In postmenopausal status, the adjusted OR comparing the highest versus lowest quartiles of E₂ level was 5.51(95%CI: 1.03～9.46, P_trend=0.032) and the adjusted OR of T level was 4.28(95%CI: 0.90 ～ 20.36, P_trend=0.043); â‘¡Pituitary hormones: In pre--menopausal and postmenopausal status, the adjusted OR comparing the highest versus lowest quartiles of PRL level were 3.31(95%CI: 1.11～9.89, P_trend=0.01) and 5.23(95%CI: 0.93 ～ 29.5, P_trend=0.045) respectively. â‘¢Thytoid hormones: The adjusted OR comparing the highest versus lowest quartiles of T₃ level were 0.55(95% CI: 0.23～1.32, P_trend =0.082) and the adjusted OR of T₄ level was 0.83(95%CI: 0.37～1.87, P_trend=0.786)(3) The serum level of E₂ in axillary lymph nodes positive patients was significantly higher than that in negative patients, and the serum level of E₂ gradually increased as the clinical stages elevated(P<0.05). The difference of serum levels of P and T₃ did not have statistically significance.Conclusions:(1) For premenopausal women, the serum level of P exerts protective effect on breast cancer, but the serum levels of T and PRL are risk factors of breast cancer. For postmenopausal women, the serum levels of E₂, T and PRL are risk factors of breast cancer. We do not find there are significant association between the serum levels of thyroid hormones and risk of breast cancer.(2) The serum level of E₂ posess significance for condition evaluation and prognostic judgement, and the serum levels of P and T₃ also have some value for condition evaluation and prognostic judgement.