Altered carbohydrate metabolism in breast cancer and benign breast affections

Breast diseases in 792 women were studied by biopsy and histological evaluation. In all subjects glucose tolerance was examined by OGTT (100 g glucose). The diabetes frequency of 22% in 326 women with breast cancer was compared with the frequency in women with fibroadenoma (n = 101), papilloma (n = 80), fibrocystic disease (n = 107), lipoma, granuloma, fibrosis (n = 88), papilloma with proliferation (n = 32), mastopathy with proliferation (n = 33) and carcinoma in situ lobulare (n = 11). The statistical evaluation was done with an electronic data processing system. We used matched pairs according to age, height and weight. Diabetogenic factors like age and overweight were thus allowed for. These comparative statistics showed a frequency of diabetes twice or three times higher in women with breast cancer. This result cannot be regarded as a consequence of age, overweight and menopause. In groups with fibroadenoma, fibrocystic disease and lipoma, we found glucose tolerance in 1-3%, whereas the group with proliferation (including carcinoma in situ) showed an incidence of 7%. The remarkably high incidence rate of 14% in women with papilloma can be explained by the higher age and the more frequent obesity in this collective.