Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies in women and a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and in Iraq, it accounts for nearly one-third of female cancer cases. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to its development. The aim of this study was to compare patients to healthy controls regarding serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in different age groups and their possible role in diagnosis and prognosis in BC. Serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA were evaluated among 48 breast cancer patients with an age range of 25-64 years and compared with those of 47 matched healthy individuals. We collected blood samples in Kirkuk between November 2025 and February 2026. measured IL-6 and TNF-alpha using ELISA, while we determined them using the Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) method, and data were analyzed with Student’s t-test in SPSS. The results showed that IL-6 reaches 12.47 ± 3.82 pg/mL in patients compared to 4.21 ± 1.35 pg/mL in controls, and TNF-α reaches 8.93 ± 2.47 pg/mL in patients versus 3.15 ± 1.02 pg/mL in controls, with significant differences for both markers. MDA also increases to 3.85 ± 0.94 µmol/L in patients compared to 1.42 ± 0.38 µmol/L in controls, showing a highly significant difference. Regarding age groups, we found that patients within the age group (45-64 years) show the highest values for all markers, with clear statistical differences across age categories, especially for MDA. As a conclusion, these findings indicated an increased inflammation and oxidative stress in breast cancer patients, and can be used in detection, monitoring, and risk assessment, especially in older patients. As a recommendation, larger, longitudinal, and multicenter surveys are required to validate these findings, establish cutoff values, and explore therapeutic targeting of these pathways.
Abdel Rahman,S Awef. (2026). Determination of Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Malondialdehyde in Breast Cancer Patients from Kirkuk. Al-Kunooze Scientific Journal, 12(3), 46-63. doi: 10.36582/ksj.2026.171294.1048
MLA
Abdel Rahman,S Awef. "Determination of Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Malondialdehyde in Breast Cancer Patients from Kirkuk", Al-Kunooze Scientific Journal, 12, 3, 2026, 46-63. doi: 10.36582/ksj.2026.171294.1048
HARVARD
Abdel Rahman S Awef. (2026). 'Determination of Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Malondialdehyde in Breast Cancer Patients from Kirkuk', Al-Kunooze Scientific Journal, 12(3), pp. 46-63. doi: 10.36582/ksj.2026.171294.1048
CHICAGO
S Awef Abdel Rahman, "Determination of Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Malondialdehyde in Breast Cancer Patients from Kirkuk," Al-Kunooze Scientific Journal, 12 3 (2026): 46-63, doi: 10.36582/ksj.2026.171294.1048
VANCOUVER
Abdel Rahman S Awef. Determination of Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Malondialdehyde in Breast Cancer Patients from Kirkuk. KSJ. 2026;12(3):46-63. doi: 10.36582/ksj.2026.171294.1048
