ABSTRACT
This study was carried out on 20 premenopausal females with breast cancer submitted to modified radical mastectomy, divided into two groups: the first received cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil [CMF] as adjuvant chemotherapy and the second was given antioxidant together with the same dose of CMF for 6 cycles. Ten healthy females were served as controls. The effect of CMF with and without antioxidant supplementation on etythrocyte membrane lipids, [Na[+]/K[+]] and [Ca[2+]-Mg[2+]] adenosine triphosphatases [ATPases] in premenopausal breast cancer patients was tudied. There were significant alterations in erythrocyte membrane lipids including holesterol, phospholipids and fatty acid pattern as well as a significant increase in lipid peroxidation, in CMF-treated breast cancer patients as compared with controls was observed. These results could be explained on the basis of increased hydrolysis of fatty acyl chains of membrane phospholipids induced by increased free radical formation. Regarding the activities of erythrocyte membrane [Na[+]/K[+] and [Ca[2]-Mg[2]]-APases, both were significantly lower in cancer patients after surgery and after CMF treatment as compared with controls. After antioxidant supplementation to CMF-treated breast cancer patients, significant alterations in most of studied parameters, approaching normal values, were observed when compared with those of patients receiving CMF alone. This could be explained on the basis of a reduction in lipid peroxide levels due to the decrease n free radical stress. Accordingly, antioxidant supplementation during treatment with CMF may be of benefit in protection against the toxic effect of CMF and its metabolites among breast cancer patients