Title: Body Mass Index and altered Lipid Profile as Major Risk Markers for Breast Cancer
Progression: A Cross-Sectional Study of Postmenopausal Women in Pakistan
Version: 3 Date: 29 Dec 2023
Reviewer:  Faisal Gulzar
Reviewer's report:
This manuscript, titled “BMI, Central Obesity and Lipid Profile as Major Risk Markers for
Breast Cancer progression: A Cross-Sectional study of Pakistani Postmenopausal women,” has
several issues that already mentioned in the first review report, but authors have not pay attention
to correct or satisfy the reviewer.
AFFILIATION SECTION
1. There is a need to standardize the format throughout the paper; the 6th and 9th affiliation
needs correction.
ABSTRACT SECTION
2. Numerous grammatical errors are present in the abstract, particularly in the use of uppercase
letters like Body Mass index (BMI), Central Obesity, and Lipid profile.
INTRODUCTION SECTION
3. Grammatical mistakes and continuous use of uppercase letters are noted from the third
sentence onwards. Pakistani women have high occurrence of the “Breast Cancer” among Asian
countries.
4. Two citations (1 and 2) in the bibliography require attention. The first citation seems to be
related to cancer statistics in America, while the second citation pertains to tracheal cancer, not
breast cancer in Pakistani women. I suggest verifying and correcting these citations for accuracy.
METHODOLOGY SECTION
5. The author comments that samples have not been collected from the two institutes where the
sample was collected.
6. Literature has been added to the sample collection section.
7. Histopathology was performed which institutes, or you have taken samples from the patients
whose histopathology confirmed the disease?
8. How much blood was taken, which technique was used.
9. Where blood samples were collected, and its processing method is missing.
10. Literature has been added to the statistics section.
RESULTS SECTION
11. Tables 2 shows the total number of patients 96 where you have collected the data of 192
patients as mentioned in the abstract method section. “A total of 384 women constituted the
present study sample. Purposive sampling was used to collect 192 confirmed new breast cancer
cases throughout the study”.
12. Usually t is used for t-tests, but “T” has been used.
13. Upper case has been used throughout the result section like “For case control study,
prevalence ratio is the measure of Association. It quantifies the magnitude of parameters
in exposure (Breast Cancer Group) and Control group. The study results show high Total
Cholesterol (OR 23.84, 95% CI 13.71- 41.43), high BMI (OR 9.59, 95% CI 5.86 -15.66) and
High BMI (OR 3.1598, 95% CI 2.03- 4.90) to be independent risk factors for breast cancer
(Table 3).”
DISCUSSION SECTION
14. The discussion section contains numerous grammatical mistakes and needs improvement,
particularly removal of uppercase in sentences.
REFERENCE SECTION
15. Need correct references like 1, 2 and so on.
Participant consent
16. Usually, participant consent has been taken for the data, sample as well as publication, but
authors declare that they have not taken consent from the participants, it’s better to remove this
one.
These issues should be promptly addressed and revised before proceeding with the manuscript.