COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF BLOOD INSULIN LEVELS IN BREAST AND ENDOMETRIAL CANCER-PATIENTS

Blood insulin level was measured in 113 breast cancer (BC) patients, 1 8 endometrial cancer (EC) patients, and 35 women with benign breast di sease (BED), after fasting and after 120 min of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A significant increase in reactive insulin level was sho wn in postmenopausal BC patients with abdominal obesity (waist/hip rat io > 0.85) and no differences in insulin level were found between BC a nd BED patients. Menstrual status and overweight (Quetelet index) did not influence significantly blood insulin concentration in BC patients , but the basal insulin level was lower in those patients who had been moderate smokers. In EC patients, the level of insulin after fasting and following 120 min OGTT was much higher than in BC and BED patients although they had a similar body mass to these groups of patients. Th e effect of age on insulin secretion in BC patients is discussed as we ll as the possible causes and consequences of hyperinsulinemia develop ing in EC and BC patients.