Dyslipidemia and breast cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 11.7% of all new cancer cases and has become the leading cause of cancer death in most countries. Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors contribute to breast cancer development. Dyslipidemia as a modifiable factor is positively associated with breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women while it is also associated with poor prognosis in patients who with diagnosed disease.
The aim of the present study was to review the literature regarding the relationship between dyslipidemia and breast cancer.
Methodology: A literature search was conducted for scientific articles in the electronic databases Pub Med and Scopus, over the last 25 years. The following keywords were used for the search: dyslipidemia, breast cancer, women, as well as synonyms and combinations of the terms.
Results: According to literature, breast tissue proliferation (benign or malignant) is associated with changes in plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels. The concentration of certain apolipoproteins in plasma has been associated with breast cancer severity. Studies have demonstrated the important role of cholesterol, especially the metabolite 27-HC and its transporters in breast cancer development. Patients who have already developed breast cancer have higher plasma concentrations of LDL-cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL). The LDL-cholesterol levels at diagnosis are predictive of tumor progression. In postmenopausal women, consumption of food with a high cholesterol content increases the risk of breast cancer development. Low-fat diet prolongs recurrence-free survival in women with estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer.
Conclusions: Given that dyslipidemia is a modifiable risk factor for the development and progression of breast cancer, educational interventions help individuals to adopt lifestyle changes that minimize breast cancer risk.