The Levels Of ET-1 Of Plasma In Breast Cancer And Its Clinical Significcance

Objective: Breast cancer is the most malignant tumor of woman than any one, and its incidence rate rises 0.2-8% every year. Though the technology of diagnosis and treatment is more advanced than before, the total survival rate is not improved obviously. So the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer becomes effective measurements that can raise the survival rate in the early. In last decades, the tumor markers of breast cancer, such as carcinoma embryonic antigen(CEA), carcinoma antigen of breast cancer, kathepsin D have been found, but the positive rates needs improving. The tumor markers are being searched for improving the early diagnostic rate of breast cancer. The investigation of relation between endothelin (ET) and tumor becomes hot topic. ET that is produced by vascular endotheliocyte is a kind of biological active peptide, and it includes three types, such as ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3. ET-1 that is in close relation to tumor growth, cancer cell infiltration and metastasis is major effective molecule. We will apply radioimmunoassay (RIA) to evaluate the level of ET-1 in plasma, and investigate: 1 how does operation effect ET-1 of plasma in breast cancer? 2 what is the relation between ET-1 and clinical and pathological indications of breast cancer? 3 does ET-1 become a kind of marker of screening and accessory diagnosis in breast cancer?Methods: We chose 50 patients of breast cancer, 30 patients of breast benign disease and control group with 20 cases, and recorded clinical and pathological datum in detail. We collected blood before operation and after for centrifugation to preserve by frozen, and applied RIA to determine ET-1 of plasma compared with clinical and pathological indications. Datum was analysed by SPPS 11.0, while mean and paired datum were compared by test of significance.Result: 1 The level of ET-1 of plasma in breast cancer before operation and after has significant rise, compared breast benign disease and the control group (P<0.01); the level of ET-1 of plasma in breast cancer has significant difference between preoperation and postoperation (P<0.01). 2 Relation between the level of ET-1 of plasma and clinical and pathological indications in 50 patients of breast cancer is indicated as following. The level of ET-1 of plasma before operation and after is more than the control group, and the difference is significant (P<0.01). The level of ET-1 before operation compared that of postoperation has significant difference (P<0.01 or P<0.01) in all indications except for tumor size (<5cm) and histologic grading (grade I ). There is not significant difference between each factor in every indication (P>0.05). As for tumor size ,there is not significant difference of the level of ET-1 in plasma between tumor(<5cm) and tumor (≥5cm),but the level is higher than the control group. The level of ET-1 in plasma rises obviously in histologic grading (grade Ⅱ-Ⅲ) and clinical staging (stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ), but there is not significant difference between each histologic grading or each clinical staging(P>0.05).Conclusions: 1 ET-1 controls the growth of breast cancer because the level of ET-1 of plasma in breast cancer which decreases after operation is higher than breast benign disease and the control group, and the level of postoperation is still higher thanthe control group. ET-1 is a kind of tumor marker of breast cancer possibly. 2 ET-1 is in relation to infiltration and metastasis of breast cancer, and it can be used to screen and diagnose tumor, to observe effect, and to instruct treatment and judge prognosis.