Tuesday 7 February 2012

Bone health management with patients with breast cancer

Bone health management with patients with breast cancer: Current standards and emerging strategies. The Breast Vol. 21(1), Feb 2012, p. 8-19.

Aapro, M.S. & Coleman, R.E.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960977611003225

In women who develop bone metastases from breast cancer (BC), interactions between tumor cells and osteoclasts within the bone lead to localized bone destruction and increase the risk of skeletal-related events (SREs). Bisphosphonates inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, and have been used extensively for treating post-menopausal osteoporosis and reducing the risk of SREs in patients with bone metastases. A number of clinical trials in women with early stage BC have demonstrated that adding bisphosphonates to adjuvant endocrine therapy can prevent bone loss and may prevent disease recurrence and improve disease-free survival.