Journal of Cell Science & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Impact of Serum Thyroid Hormones and Estrogen Status on the Risk of Breast Cancer in Kashmiri Women

Athar Ali, Manzoor R Mir, Sumira Bashir and Tehseen Hassan

Estrogen involvement in breast cancer has been established; however, the association between breast cancer and thyroid diseases is controversial. Estrogen-like effects of thyroid hormone on breast cancer cell growth in culture have been reported. The aim of our study was to investigate a possible correlation between the genesis of breast cancer and the levels of serum thyroid hormones. we measured the percentage of free estradiol (E2) and the amounts of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and thyroid hormones in serum samples from Kashmiri patients with breast cancer (n=50) and normal controls (n=25). The patients were found to have significantly higher free E2 and significantly lower SHBG than controls. Moreover, the serum levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) were lower in the patients than in controls, while the serum levels of TSH and TBG in the patients were not significantly different from those in controls. These results suggest that the reduction in the serum FT3, and FT4 levels, which is independent of changes in the serum level of free E2, may be one of the risk factors for breast cancer in Kashmir.