Serum beta-lipoprotein, serum cholesterol and Quetelet's index as predictors for survival of breast cancer patients.

We studied the survival of breast cancer patients in relation to serum cholesterol level, serum beta-lipoprotein level (BLP) and being overweight among women having breast cancer diagnosed during a follow-up period of 20 years. A cohort of 46,570 women attended a general health screening including examination of serum lipid levels, height and weight during 1963-1965. Of these, 1170 women developing breast cancer; 196 were below the age of 50 and 974 were above 50 years of age. 66 of the younger women, and 341 of the older women were reported to have died of breast cancer. A correlation was found between high serum BLP and decreased survival of breast cancer patients < 50 years of age. For women > or = 60 years of age, BLP was positively correlated to breast cancer survival. No correlation was found between serum cholesterol level and breast cancer survival in any age group. Increasing obesity was statistically significantly correlated to decreased survival with breast cancer. The latter findings were in accordance with other studies which have shown being overweight as a risk factor for breast cancer. As for the relationships between ischaemic heart disease and serum lipid levels, in studies of cancer risks in relation to serum cholesterol level, the different fractions of cholesterol seem to be of importance.