Impact of breast cancer and combination chemotherapy on oxidative stress, hepatic and cardiac markers.

Purpose: Carcinoma of the breast is the most prevalent cancer among Egyptian women and constitutes 29% of National Cancer Institute cases. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of breast cancer on oxidative stress, cardiac markers and liver function tests, moreover the role of 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) in the treatment of breast cancer and its mechanism through changing the measured markers.

Methods: Forty female breast cancer patients who were admitted to the Department of Oncology of the Beni-Suef University Hospital were enrolled in the study. This study included three arms: a control group of healthy age-matched females (n=20), breast cancer patients who weren't receiving treatment (n=20), and patients undergoing treatment with anticancer combination drugs FAC (n=20). Blood samples collected from the control subjects and patients were analysed to determine levels of catalase, reduced glutathione (GSH), uric acid, nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde, creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase), and creatinine.

Results: The levels of catalase and GSH were significantly reduced (p<0.05) in breast carcinoma and FAC treated breast cancer patients. The lipid peroxidation and NO levels were significantly enhanced in both untreated and FAC treated breast cancer patients. The CK and LDH were significantly enhanced (p<0.05) in the FAC group.

Conclusion: The results from the present study show that oxidative stress is implicated in breast carcinoma and chemotherapy aggravates this oxidative stress which causes damage to many cellular targets and has the main side effect of cardiotoxicity.