Haemorheological changes in African breast cancer patients.

Several studies have indicated the existence of thrombo-embolic complications in cancer patients and that this could be associated with changes in heamorheological parameters. Packed cell volume (PCV), heamoglobin (Hb), relative plasma viscosity (RPV) and plasma Fibrinogen concentration (PFC) were measured in 50 healthy control women, 50 age-matched women with breast cancer, and 10 women with histophathologically proven benign breast tumour. There were significant differences between the controls and breast cancer patients in all the parameters measured (p < 0.05). However, patients with cancer have significantly higher RPV and PFC (P < 0.001) respectively than controls. There was significant mean difference between pre and post mastectomy in fibrinogen concentration (p < 0.05) and this was observed over the 5-week study period. Since increased fibrinogen may give rise to increase fibrin formation which has been asserted as an independent cardiovascular risk factor for thromb-oembolic complications, African patients with breast cancer may well be predisposed to thrombotic complications during illness. The theological assessment may offer valuable benefit for the management and early diagnosis of breast cancer in African women.