C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, is not associated with breast cancer risk among healthy women, despite earlier studies that suggest a link between chronic inflammation and breast cancer development. The findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Using data from the Women’s Health Study, Shumin Zhang, M.D., Sc.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues evaluated whether levels of CRP were associated with future breast cancer risk. After an average of 10 years of follow-up, the researchers found no association.

“In patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer, elevated levels of CRP or interleukin-6 are associated with reduced survival, suggesting that CRP levels may rise after the onset of breast cancer and be a prognostic indicator for survival in patients. However, data are sparse regarding whether or not CRP is associated with breast cancer risk among apparently healthy women,” the authors write.

SOURCE:
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, June 6, 2007