Cholesterol levels in young adulthood and subsequent cancer: a preliminary note.

In a study of the serum cholesterol of 30 male medical students who later developed major cancer, no consistent relationship between baseline cholesterol level and cancer was found during follow-up studies extending for up to 33 years. However, different cancer types seemed to have different cholesterol profiles: subjects who developed melanoma or lung cancer had relatively low initial levels, while subjects who developed cancer of the digestive system, brain or urinary bladder tended to have high initial values. Sequential cholesterol measurements made on two men with cancer of the colon are presented. It is suggested that such sequential cholesterol studies combined with knowledge of the types of cancers involved would help to clarify such complex interrelationships as may exist. The implications of a two-population hypothesis are discussed.