Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) are the major components in the IGF axis that play an important role in the development and progression of cancer. However, little is known about the circulatory levels of these proteins with recurrence and metastasis in breast carcinoma (BC).
One hundred and twenty-eight (128) breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy were purposively taken from a prospective study. Clinicopathological information was collected from patients’ medical records. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured by standard methods. Growth and metabolic factors were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and compared for patients’ recurrence and metastasis.
The mean age at diagnosis was 44 years. Most of the tumors (94%) were ductal cell carcinoma. Two thirds were moderately differentiated tumor grade and lymph node positive [70% and 67% respectively]. Circulatory levels of IGFBP1 were significantly higher (p<0.05) in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy; and patients with recurrence and metastasis while IGF1 was found to be significantly increased in only metastatic breast cancer (p<0.05). IGFBP-1 levels were correlated with SGPT, ALP, hemoglobin, WBC, ESR, CA15.3 and contraceptive use, whereas, IGF-1 was associated with insulin, HOMA %B and ESR.
High serum levels of IGFBP-1 and IGF-1 may be associated with breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. These results need to be confirmed in larger breast cancer survivor cohorts.
TWAS, Ministry of Education (MoE) Bangladesh.
The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste, Italy. Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information & Statistics (BANBEIS), Ministry of Education (MoE), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.