Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity in CMF treated breast cancer patients.

Most of breast cancer patients are treated with CMF, which is a combination of three anticancer agents, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil. Metabolites of CMF induce lipid peroxidation by inactivating the antioxidant enzymes, thereby rendering the system inefficient in management of the free radical attack. Acrolein and phosphoramide mustard are the metabolites of cyclophosphamide which are among the causative agents which reduce the activity of superoxide dismultase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in erythrocytes of CMF treated breast cancer patients.