Serum lipid profile in colorectal cancer patients with and without synchronous distant metastases

Objective: In this study, the serum lipid profile, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), has been investigated in colorectal cancer patients (CRC) with and without synchronous distant metastases. The aim of this study was to verify whether the presence of metastases was associated to serum lipid abnormalities, and whether lipoprotein abnormalities were linked to the nutritional status. Methods: The fasting serum lipid profile was examined in 84 CRC patients using colorimetric methods. To determine the nutritional status, the body mass index (BMI) was calculated and serum albumin was measured. Results: Patients with distant metastases showed significantly higher levels of TC, LDL-C and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio than patients without metastases (p < 0.05). The presence of metastases was positively associated with TC, LDL-C and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, being independent of sex, age and BMI. Conclusions: Elevated serum lipid levels may facilitate the development of distant metastasis in CRC patients. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.