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Study Identifies Causes of Bone Loss in Breast Cancer Survivors

MAYWOOD, Ill -- November 20, 2008 -- A study in the November 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology has found that cancer drugs aren't the only culprits of bone loss in breast cancer survivors.

Among 64 breast cancer patients referred to a bone health clinic, 78% had at least 1other cause of bone loss, including vitamin D deficiency, excessive calcium excretion in urine, and an overactive parathyroid gland.

"Doctors evaluating breast cancer patients for possible bone loss should look further than cancer drugs," said lead author Pauline Camacho, MD, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois.

A coauthor of the study, Kathy Albain, MD, also with Stritch School of Medicine, said breast cancer survivors "are just like the normal population as they age in that bone loss can be due to many treatable causes."

For the study, the researchers reviewed charts of 238 consecutive postmenopausal patients who had osteoporosis or osteopaenia and were referred to the Loyola's Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease Center from 2000 to 2006.

Of the patients, 64 were women with breast cancer referred from Loyola's Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center and 174 were patients without breast cancer referred from primary care physicians.

Of the patients with breast cancer, 38% had vitamin D deficiency, compared with 51% of the non breast cancer patients. Excessive calcium excretion in urine was found in 16% cancer patients and in 8% of noncancer patients. And in 5% of patients, the parathyroid gland was overactive.

Dr. Albain refers all her breast cancer patients for a comprehensive bone health evaluation when osteopaenia or osteoporosis is discovered. "Just prescribing a medication for osteoporosis may not be enough for many of our patients," she said. "They deserve a thorough workup."

SOURCE: Loyola University Health System

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