Effect of cancer treatment modalities on serum lipids and lipoproteins among women with carcinoma of the breast.

Serum lipids and lipoproteins were studied in 61 breast cancer patients before initiation of therapy and subsequently during and after completion of cancer therapy. Different serum lipid fractions were estimated by enzymatic method. It was observed that mean levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol among untreated breast cancer patients decreased significantly after treatment. On the contrary, an increasing trend in the levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol was noticed in patients during the course of treatment. This study reflects the effects of cancer therapy in the alteration of levels of different serum lipid fractions in the patients with breast cancer.