MALONDIALDEHYDE LEVELS IN BREAST-CANCER

Cancer of the breast is an aggressive infiltrating disease, which caus es widespread necrosis of the surrounding tissues. We have measured th e malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in plasma from 100 women suffering from breast cancer. The patients were classified into four groups based on the treatment regimen (untreated, post-surgery, surgery + chemotherap y and surgery + chemotherapy + radiotherapy). We compared MDA levels w ith respect to age, treatment modality, stage of the carcinoma and ons et of menopause. In general, MDA levels increased with age and advance in stage of the carcinoma, but decreased in post-menopausal patients and with every additional phase of treatment. Our findings suggest tha t this variation may not be coincidental in origin. Med Sci Res 26:477 -479 (C) 1998 Lippincott-Raven Publishers.