To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Risedronate Reduces Bone Mass Loss in Breast Cancer Patients After Chemotherapy: Presented at AGS URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/220EAE.htm Doctor's Guide May 9, 2008
By Crina Frincu-Mallos, PhD WASHINGTON, DC -- May 9, 2008 -- Risedronate therapy appears to prevent bone loss in premenopausal and newly menopausal women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy, researchers here at the 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). Breast cancer accounts for almost one third of new cancers diagnosed annually. The cytotoxic drugs used to treat breast cancer cause premature ovarian failure and induce early menopause in 53% to 89% of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Temporary or permanent chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure results in potential bone loss associated with the loss of oestrogen. To evaluate the effectiveness of risedronate in the prevention and treatment of bone loss in this population, Gijsberta J. van Londen, MD, Graduate Medical Resident, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, conducted the Risedronate's Effect on Bone Loss in Breast Cancer (ReBBeCa) study. Dr. Van Londen presented the results of the study in a poster presentation on May 1. The results were also published on April 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. According to the investigators, the primary goal of risedronate therapy is to prevent bone loss as determined through bone mineral density (BMD) evaluations of clinically relevant sites, such as the hip and spine, every 6 months. Dr. Van Londen and colleagues presented the results of a subanalysis of a 2-year, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of risedronate given to chemotherapy-induced postmenopausal women with nonmetastatic breast cancer. In this study, 44 women were randomised to once weekly oral risedronate 35 mg and 43 women to placebo. The investigators identified the patients who received an aromatase inhibitor (AI) or selective oestrogen-receptor modulator (SERM) prior to study entry and evaluated the effect of risedronate on bone health. BMD was derived using Beck's hip structure analysis. Of the 44 women on risedronate, 6 previously received an AI and 38 received a SERM. Similarly, in the placebo arm, 7 out of 43 women received an AI and 36 received a SERM. Patients in the risedronate arm with previous history of AI therapy had a mean BMD of 0.003 g/cm2, compared with a mean BMD of 0.049 g/cm2 for those with a history of SERM therapy (P < .05). In the placebo arm, patients with previous history of AI therapy had a mean BMD of -0.045 g/cm2, compared with a mean BMD of -0.010 g/cm2 for those with history of SERM therapy (P < .05). The results point toward lower BMD and hip structural indices in women with a history of AI treatment, compared with those previously treated with SERM agents, suggested Dr. Van Londen. In addition, this analysis indicates that preventive risedronate therapy maintains the skeletal structure, concluded the investigators. Funding for this study was provided by grants from the US National Institutes of Health, the Alliance for Better Bone Health, and Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals. [Presentation title: The Effect of Risedronate on Hip Structural Geometry in Chemotherapy-Induced Postmenopausal Women on SERMS Versus Aromatase Inhibitors. Abstract A130] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.