Use of membrane lipidome, body weight, and composition in stratification of early breast cancer patients

Fat quality and quantity have a strong impact on cancer metabolism, however, in oncology practice, only body mass index (BMI) is evaluated. The observational prospective study performed at Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli explored the combination of membrane lipidome, BMI, and body composition, together with nutritional information, as evaluation criteria of fifty newly diagnosed early breast cancer patients (BRECALIP study). The fatty acid content of red blood cell membrane phospholipids, dividing patients by the BMI, individuated normal weight subjects for their molecular signatures different from the other groups, pointing to increased membrane fluidity and inflammation (saturated fatty acid decrease, omega-6 fatty acid increase), known to sustain cancer proliferation. Fat mass (FM% ≥30) and phase angles (PA° ≥ 5.6) in the normal weight group correlated with specific pro-inflammatory fatty acid modifications. Such patient stratification, confirmed by large and longitudinal studies, can better individuate nutritional/metabolic risks of inflammatory implications in breast cancer.