Plasma and body lipids in patients with carcinoma of the breast.

Patients with breast carcinoma had elevated levels of plasma total lipids, phospholipids and cholesterol which were associated with increased amount of subcutaneous body fat as compared with the patients bearing non-breast carcinomas. The raised plasma concentrations of these parameters in the patients bearing breast carcinoma may be due to increased rate of lipid absorption as the fat-splitting enzymes, lipases, were also found to be increased in the patients.