Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Status in Cancer Patients from Western Nepal

Objectives: There is growing evidence that oxidative stress (OS) has a causal relationship with cancerand a weak antioxidant defense can aggravate it further. We therefore, undertook this study to examine lipidperoxidation (TBARS), total antioxidant activity (TAA), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and α- tocopherol levels incancer patients, with special attention to the influence of smoking.
Methods: The study subjects were 42 patients(61.19±10.1yrs) suffering from cancer and 43 normal subjects (NS) (56.69±19.1yrs). Plasma levels of TBARS,TAA, vitamin C and α- tocopherol were estimated.
Results: TAA and α-tocopherol levels were significantly lowerand TBARS levels significantly higher in cancer patients when compared to NS. In smoking cancer patient’sα-tocopherol levels were significantly low and TBARS significantly raised.
Conclusion: Our observations indicatethat increased lipid peroxidation, reduced total antioxidant activity and α-tocopherol levels are associated withcancer development, with and without smoking. However, a greater reduction of TAA in smokers may be dueto increased oxidants introduced by smoking.