Serum and saliva protein levels in females with breast cancer

The aim of the present study was to investigate the change in the total protein content between the serum and saliva of female patients with breast cancer and in healthy females. The study was conducted between October 2012 and November 2013. There were 80 females in the present study with 40 breast cancer patients and 40 healthy control subjects, with an age range of 50–70 years. The results of the study showed that the mean value ± standard deviation of the total serum protein in patients with breast cancer was 7.63±0.41 g/dl, whereas in the healthy subjects it was 6.14±1.84 g/dl. The total salivary protein measurement was 0.14±0.07 g/dl and 0.25±0.09 g/dl in the breast cancer and healthy group, respectively. Therefore, it can be concluded that the total serum protein was higher in female patients with breast cancer, whereas the levels in the saliva were lower compared to the healthy female group. The results of the present study indicate that serum protein levels may be used for the diagnosis of breast cancer.