Interestingly, 61% of women operated for breast cancer (cases) with HOMA-IR ≥ 2.5 presented fasting

plasma glucose levels and fasting plasma insulin levels in the normal range (group 1). Only 5% of cases showed high levels of both fasting plasma glucose and fasting plasma insulin (group 2). 7% were euglycemic, but plasmatic insulin levels were high (group 3). 27% of patients presented as hyperglycaemic, but insulin levels were in the normal range (group 4). Discussion Our data still confirm the existing linkage between metabolic alterations and breast cancer. Higher prevalence of MS (35%) among postmenopausal women with breast cancer compared click here to healthy women (19%) [OR 2.16] was found. No statistical significant difference in premenopausal women was found. Probably, alterations in metabolic signalling that activate pro-mitotic and anti-apoptotic pathways are more likely to occur in postmenopausal women. Moreover all MS features were positively, but RXDX-101 weakly associated to breast cancer risk. As expected from the recent literature, android fat distribution-consisting in WC >88 cm- was positively associated to MS and breast cancer more than BMI. Waist circumference >88 cm was measured in 53% of cases – OR 1.58 (95% CI 0.8-2.8) and in 46% of controls, whereas no differences in BMI were found between cases and controls. A majority of prospective studies show breast cancer risk to be

higher in obese postmenopausal women with upper abdominal adiposity than in those with overall adiposity. The evidence is more limited and inconsistent in the case of premenopausal women. Overall adiposity in women adversely affects breast cancer risk mainly by greater exposure of mammary epithelial tissue DNA ligase to endogenous oestrogen and to pro-inflammatory cytokines. Upper abdominal adiposity appears to involve an additional effect related to the presence of insulin resistance [15]. Waist circumference measurement reveals to be more accurate than BMI alone in breast cancer risk A-1210477 in vitro evaluation. Second end point of our study was to singularly analyze insulin resistance contribution in determining breast cancer risk. 49% of cases were insulin resistant respect to 34% of controls

[OR 1.86], suggesting that insulin resistance can nearly double the risk of breast cancer development. 80% of the insulin resistant patients were postmenopausal, but the most important aspect to consider is that 61% of women operated for breast cancer (cases) with HOMA-IR ≥ 2.5, and so to be considered as insulin resistant, presented fasting plasma glucose levels and fasting plasma insulin levels in the normal range, whereas 7% of patients were euglycemic, but plasmatic insulin levels were high. Consequently 68% of patients had levels of fasting plasma glucose in the normal range, and, similarly, fasting plasma insulin levels were diagnosed as normal in 88% of cases. Only through the use of HOMA score were we able to diagnose insulin resistance.