Liver enzymes; alterations in the profile during breast cancer treatment of diabetic and cardiac patients

ABSTRACT

To study the effect of breast cancer treatment on liver enzymes in diabetic and cardiac breast cancer females. Cross-sectional type of study. Liaquat National Hospital Karachi. January 2008 to January 2010. Total 47 breast cancer patients. Out of these, 22 were diabetic and 25 were cardiac patients, visiting the oncology OPD of the hospital. Patients with metastasis to distant organs were excluded from the study. Treatment was carried under the supervision of an oncologist. Samples were collected twice during the study. First sample was collected at disease presentation before starting any type of treatment and second time, sample was collected 14 weeks after the last chemotherapy dose. Data was analyzed using statistical package [SPSS version 11.0]. "Students t-test" and analysis of variance [ANOVA] was used to analyze the means and standard deviations of quantitative/continuous variables. In all statistical analysis p<0.05 was considered significant. In all patient groups after treatment alkaline phosphatase was significantly high as compared to that before treatment [p<0.05] whereas alanine transaminase increased significantly without including Tamoxifen in the treatment. Variation pattern of liver enzyme was the same in both patient groups. Altered profile of liver enzyme was similar in both patient groups there for the variations cannot be attributed to hyperglycemia in diabetic females and the alterations in liver enzymes were attributed to liver damage by chemotherapy and fatty infiltration of liver induced by Tamoxifen