Relationship between breast cancer and increased prolactin hormone levels and TSH levels in menopausal and pre-menopausal women: A Case-Control Study

Despite many promising advances in recent years, our standing about the onset, progression, and metastasis of breast cancer is not yet complete. However, it is believed that hormones in women may also play an import role in the onset and progression of breast cancer. Therefore, this study was performed with aim to investigate the relationship between prolactin level and breast cancer in menopausal and pre-menopausal women.

This case-control study was conducted on 100 women with breast cancer referred to Breast Cancer Center of Peymanieh Hospital (Jahrom University of Medical Sciences) in two groups of breast cancer (25 menopausal and 25 pre-menopausal women) and control group (25 menopausal and 25 pre-menopausal women) in 2018. Serum prolactin levels were measured by ELISA and malondialdehyde method manually and by reaction with thiobarbituric acid. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 21) and Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Two groups were homogeneous in terms of mean of age, weight, height, duration of marriage, time of first delivery and number of offspring (p >0.05). There was no significant relationship between increased prolactin level and breast cancer in menopausal women (p = 0.425). There was no significant relationship between increased prolactin hormone and breast cancer in pre-menopausal women (p = 0.867). There was no significant difference between menopausal women with breast cancer and control group in the frequency of TSH (p = 0.378).

There was no significant relationship between increased prolactin hormone and breast cancer in menopausal and pre-menopausal women. However, elevated serum levels of TSH were more common among those with breast cancer than healthy controls, but the difference was not significant. However, further investigation is needed in this regard.