RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Prognostic factors, including both histopathological and biochemical variables, influence the choice of modality and the course of therapy in breast cancer. The biomarkers found in biological fluids, particularly in blood, apparently hold the best promise for the development of screening assays. AIM: To find out if any correlation exists between blood DNA level and tumor stage, size and grade. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study was carried out on 52 female patients in the age-group of 18-70 years. The cases comprised 25 patients with histopathologically confirmed malignant breast cancer, while 27 patients with benign breast tumors served as the control group. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: We used the Student's 't' test to compare the differences between the blood DNA levels in the two groups. Pearson's test was performed to find out the correlation between blood DNA levels and the TNM stage, tumor size and grade. RESULTS: It was observed that blood DNA levels showed statistically significant correlation with the TNM stage, tumor size and grade. CONCLUSION: The blood DNA level can be utilized as a noninvasive marker to assess tumor aggressiveness. Thus, it can be useful as a prognostic marker and as a marker of tumor burden.