Prognostic value of interleukin-6 [IL-6] and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] in Egyptian patients with breast cancer

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted on 41 females selected from National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Surgery Department. The patients were divided into two groups. Group I included 21 clinically established breast cancer patients in early stage [I or II] and Group II included 20 clinically established breast cancer patients in late stage [III or IV]. Beside 20 healthy females were included as control group. The aim of the present work is to assess the prognostic value of pre and postoperative IL-6, TNF-alpha and to investigate the relationship between these parameters and the serum inflammatory parameter [ESR]. The results showed that non-significant changes were found in the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in early cases before and after surgery when compared to control group, while ESR value was significantly increased before and after surgery [p<0.01] and [p<0.05] respectively. Both IL-6 and TNF-alpha showed non-significant changes on comparing early cases group before and after surgery, while ESR values showed a significant decrease after surgery [p<0.01]. In late cases, levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha and ESR were highly significantly increased before surgery, [,p<0.001] for all parameters when compared to the control group. After surgery, this increase was still highly significant for IL-6, TNF-alpha and ESR [p<0.001, <0.01, <0.01] respectively when compared to controls. Comparing, TNF-alpha and ESR before and after surgery in group II, our results showed significant decrease [p < 0.05] for both parameters. While IL-6 showed highly significant decrease [p<0.001]. In conclusion, the preoperative serum levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and ESR significantly increased with advanced stages of breast cancer. So, IL-6 and TNF-alpha may be considered as promising additive prognostic parameter for breast cancer