Correlation of plasma D-dimer levels with breast carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women. There is a correlation between cancer and hyper coagulation. Carcinoma increases the level of cross-linked fibrin degradation product (plasma D-dimer), indicative of systemic activation of fibrinolysis, hemostasis and angiogenesis. This study attempted to correlate raised plasma D-dimer in breast cancer.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the department of general surgery in GCS hospital, Ahmedabad where in patients admitted and treated for breast cancer between July 2020 to June 2021 were selected. Plasma D-dimer levels were correlated with final histopathological examination of breast specimen.Results: Plasma D-dimer levels were increased with advancing stage of disease, lymph node involvement and lymphovascular invasion. There was no significant relationship with increase in tumour size and histopathological grade of tumour.Conclusions: Plasma D-dimer levels are elevated in breast cancer, especially with advanced stage. It is an important marker of clinical stage, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node involvement. However it does not correlate with tumour size and histological grade. So pre- operative plasma D-dimer level is a safe, cost effective and convenient method for prediction of advanced stage in breast cancer.

D-Dimers Variability in the Perioperative Period of Breast Cancer Surgery Helps to Predict Cancer Relapse: A Single-Centre Prospective Study

“…There was no significant relationship with tumour size and histopathological grade of tumour. 2 In a small prospective study of 70 patients (35 diagnosed with breast cancer and 35 with benign breast disease), Ghadhban et al showed that baseline DD level was normal (<.25) mg/l in 97.1% of patients with benign breast disease, but it was elevated in 88.6% of breast cancer patients. DD concentration was correlated with tumour size and grade, lympho-vascular invasion, and lymph nodes involvement.…”

“… 1 Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently recognised neoplastic disease in women, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases diagnosed annually. 2 The number of BC diagnosed worldwide has been increasing at an alarming rate in the last decades. 3 Thus, many efforts are made to detect cancer cells or their products on molecular level, and especially, to find the molecular and/or biological predictors of treatment relapse and worse survival.…”