Lipid Metabolism and Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review of the Prognostic Implications and Chemotherapy-Induced Dyslipidemia
<b>Introduction:</b> Lipid metabolism plays a crucial role in breast cancer’s progression, treatment response, and prognosis. Alterations in triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have been implicated in tumor ag...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/5/689 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850126830254686208 |
|---|---|
| author | Ionut Flaviu Faur Amadeus Dobrescu Ioana Adelina Clim Paul Pasca Cosmin Burta Marco Marian Dan Brebu Andreea-Adriana Neamtu Vlad Braicu Talpai Tamas Ciprian Duta Bogdan Totolici |
| author_facet | Ionut Flaviu Faur Amadeus Dobrescu Ioana Adelina Clim Paul Pasca Cosmin Burta Marco Marian Dan Brebu Andreea-Adriana Neamtu Vlad Braicu Talpai Tamas Ciprian Duta Bogdan Totolici |
| author_sort | Ionut Flaviu Faur |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Introduction:</b> Lipid metabolism plays a crucial role in breast cancer’s progression, treatment response, and prognosis. Alterations in triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have been implicated in tumor aggressiveness and chemotherapy outcomes. This review examines the relationship between dyslipidemia and breast cancer, with a focus on chemotherapy-induced lipid alterations and their prognostic significance. <b>Methods:</b> A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PUBMED, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, identifying 108 unique studies. After applying the inclusion criteria, 21 studies were selected for analysis, covering lipid profile changes before, during, and after chemotherapy, as well as their impact on treatment response and clinical outcomes. <b>Results:</b> Breast cancer patients exhibited lower baseline TC, TG, and LDL-C levels compared to healthy controls; however, chemotherapy significantly increased these markers while decreasing HDL-C from 1.1 to 0.9 mmol/L. The incidence of dyslipidemia rose from 42.98% pre-treatment to 58.28% post-treatment. Chemotherapy-induced lipid alterations were most pronounced in anthracycline- and taxane-based regimens, leading to a 38% increase in TGs and a 23% reduction in HDL-C. While some studies reported that lipid levels normalized post-treatment, others indicated persistent dyslipidemia up to 12 months later. High baseline HDL-C was associated with a better chemotherapy response, whereas elevated TGs and LDL-C correlated with increased tumor aggressiveness, lower pathological complete response rates, and a higher relapse risk. Patients with persistently high post-treatment TGs had significantly worse disease-free survival, with a 30% relapse rate compared to 18% in those with normal TG. Preliminary evidence suggests that lipid-lowering therapies, such as statins, may offer therapeutic benefits in breast cancer by targeting the cholesterol synthesis pathways involved in tumor growth, though further clinical trials are required. <b>Conclusions:</b> Dyslipidemia is a key metabolic factor influencing breast cancer’s progression, treatment response, and long-term prognosis. Chemotherapy-induced lipid alterations may persist, increasing cardiovascular risk and potentially affecting therapeutic efficacy. Routine lipid monitoring and metabolic interventions could enhance treatment outcomes and survivorship. Future research should focus on developing lipid-targeted strategies to optimize breast cancer management. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0bc14ea380a6419fb186974344cc7ee4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj-art-0bc14ea380a6419fb186974344cc7ee42025-08-20T02:33:50ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292025-04-0115568910.3390/life15050689Lipid Metabolism and Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review of the Prognostic Implications and Chemotherapy-Induced DyslipidemiaIonut Flaviu Faur0Amadeus Dobrescu1Ioana Adelina Clim2Paul Pasca3Cosmin Burta4Marco Marian5Dan Brebu6Andreea-Adriana Neamtu7Vlad Braicu8Talpai Tamas9Ciprian Duta10Bogdan Totolici11IInd Surgery Clinic, Timisoara Emergency County Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, RomaniaIInd Surgery Clinic, Timisoara Emergency County Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, RomaniaDoctoral School of Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, RomaniaIInd Surgery Clinic, Timisoara Emergency County Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, RomaniaFaculty of Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, RomaniaIInd Surgery Clinic, Timisoara Emergency County Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, RomaniaIInd Surgery Clinic, Timisoara Emergency County Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, RomaniaFaculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Sq., Nr. 2, 300041 Timisoara, RomaniaIInd Surgery Clinic, Timisoara Emergency County Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, RomaniaFaculty of Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, RomaniaIInd Surgery Clinic, Timisoara Emergency County Hospital, 300723 Timisoara, RomaniaIst Clinic of General Surgery, Arad County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 310158 Arad, Romania<b>Introduction:</b> Lipid metabolism plays a crucial role in breast cancer’s progression, treatment response, and prognosis. Alterations in triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have been implicated in tumor aggressiveness and chemotherapy outcomes. This review examines the relationship between dyslipidemia and breast cancer, with a focus on chemotherapy-induced lipid alterations and their prognostic significance. <b>Methods:</b> A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PUBMED, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, identifying 108 unique studies. After applying the inclusion criteria, 21 studies were selected for analysis, covering lipid profile changes before, during, and after chemotherapy, as well as their impact on treatment response and clinical outcomes. <b>Results:</b> Breast cancer patients exhibited lower baseline TC, TG, and LDL-C levels compared to healthy controls; however, chemotherapy significantly increased these markers while decreasing HDL-C from 1.1 to 0.9 mmol/L. The incidence of dyslipidemia rose from 42.98% pre-treatment to 58.28% post-treatment. Chemotherapy-induced lipid alterations were most pronounced in anthracycline- and taxane-based regimens, leading to a 38% increase in TGs and a 23% reduction in HDL-C. While some studies reported that lipid levels normalized post-treatment, others indicated persistent dyslipidemia up to 12 months later. High baseline HDL-C was associated with a better chemotherapy response, whereas elevated TGs and LDL-C correlated with increased tumor aggressiveness, lower pathological complete response rates, and a higher relapse risk. Patients with persistently high post-treatment TGs had significantly worse disease-free survival, with a 30% relapse rate compared to 18% in those with normal TG. Preliminary evidence suggests that lipid-lowering therapies, such as statins, may offer therapeutic benefits in breast cancer by targeting the cholesterol synthesis pathways involved in tumor growth, though further clinical trials are required. <b>Conclusions:</b> Dyslipidemia is a key metabolic factor influencing breast cancer’s progression, treatment response, and long-term prognosis. Chemotherapy-induced lipid alterations may persist, increasing cardiovascular risk and potentially affecting therapeutic efficacy. Routine lipid monitoring and metabolic interventions could enhance treatment outcomes and survivorship. Future research should focus on developing lipid-targeted strategies to optimize breast cancer management.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/5/689breast cancerneoadjuvant chemotherapychemotherapy-induced dyslipidemiaLDL-CHDL-C |
| spellingShingle | Ionut Flaviu Faur Amadeus Dobrescu Ioana Adelina Clim Paul Pasca Cosmin Burta Marco Marian Dan Brebu Andreea-Adriana Neamtu Vlad Braicu Talpai Tamas Ciprian Duta Bogdan Totolici Lipid Metabolism and Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review of the Prognostic Implications and Chemotherapy-Induced Dyslipidemia Life breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy chemotherapy-induced dyslipidemia LDL-C HDL-C |
| title | Lipid Metabolism and Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review of the Prognostic Implications and Chemotherapy-Induced Dyslipidemia |
| title_full | Lipid Metabolism and Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review of the Prognostic Implications and Chemotherapy-Induced Dyslipidemia |
| title_fullStr | Lipid Metabolism and Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review of the Prognostic Implications and Chemotherapy-Induced Dyslipidemia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lipid Metabolism and Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review of the Prognostic Implications and Chemotherapy-Induced Dyslipidemia |
| title_short | Lipid Metabolism and Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review of the Prognostic Implications and Chemotherapy-Induced Dyslipidemia |
| title_sort | lipid metabolism and breast cancer a narrative review of the prognostic implications and chemotherapy induced dyslipidemia |
| topic | breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy chemotherapy-induced dyslipidemia LDL-C HDL-C |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/5/689 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ionutflaviufaur lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT amadeusdobrescu lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT ioanaadelinaclim lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT paulpasca lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT cosminburta lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT marcomarian lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT danbrebu lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT andreeaadriananeamtu lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT vladbraicu lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT talpaitamas lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT ciprianduta lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia AT bogdantotolici lipidmetabolismandbreastcanceranarrativereviewoftheprognosticimplicationsandchemotherapyinduceddyslipidemia |