Cancer Res Treat.  2003 Aug;35(4):335-340.

Clinical Significance of the Levels of Serum Cholesterol in Patients with Gastric Cancer

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea. jsjang@nongae.gsnu.ac.kr
  • 2Department of General Surgery, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea.
  • 3Department of Information Statistics and RICC, College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
The relationship between serum cholesterol levels and mortality is complex. Serum cholesterol levels correlate positively with coronary artery disease, but some studies have suggested a negative relationship in cancer patients. Because the serum cholesterol levels are one of the most frequently assayed laboratory values, trends in the levels of cholesterol were investigated, in patients with gastric cancer and assumed a possible role in cancer screening.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The serum cholesterol levels were retrospectively analyzed in a group of 220 patients, diagnosed with gastric cancer, and in 177 healthy subjects. Anthropometric (body mass index: BMI) and biochemical indices of their nutritional status were also determined in the study subjects. Statistical analyses were performed by analyses of variance and covariance, and a discriminant analysis.
RESULTS
The levels of serum cholesterol, albumin, Hb and the BMI were significantly lower in the gastric cancer-patients group than in the healthy-subjects group. The serum cholesterol and Hb levels were shown to be independent of each other, when adjusted for the effects of the BMI. In the patients with gastric cancer the levels of cholesterol and Hb showed decreasing tendencies as did the tumor extension, as defined by the TNM system.
CONCLUSION
The serum cholesterol and Hb levels were significantly lower in patients with gastric cancer than in the healthy subjects, which seemed to be linked to the progression of gastric cancer. Therefore, further study is required for the serum cholesterol and Hb levels to be used as markers in cancer screening and its progression, in patients with gastric cancer.

Keyword

Stomach neoplasm; Cholesterol; Hemoglobin

MeSH Terms

Cholesterol*
Coronary Artery Disease
Early Detection of Cancer
Humans
Mortality
Nutritional Status
Retrospective Studies
Stomach Neoplasms*
Cholesterol
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