University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center researchers are recommending that men treated for prostate cancer be given the same medical treatment
women, who are treated for hormone-positive cancers, receive to prevent bone loss. The same hormones that
feed hormone-driven cancers, are the same hormones that help maintain bone density. While chemoprevention cancer
therapies block these hormones from advancing hormone-positive cancers, the downside is the known side-effect of bone
loss. Bone loss, or osteoporosis, is a serious concern because
it can lead to brittle thinning of the bones and easy bone fractures. Men treated with androgen deprivation therapy for
prostate cancer, who were then given alendronate, a drug used to treat osteoporosis, showed significantly increased bone
mass compared to men who did not receive the drug.Note: The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or substitute for professional care. For medical emergencies, dial 911!
Prostate cancer treatment can lead to bone loss
University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center researchers are recommending that men treated for prostate cancer be given the same medical treatment
women, who are treated for hormone-positive cancers, receive to prevent bone loss. The same hormones that
feed hormone-driven cancers, are the same hormones that help maintain bone density. While chemoprevention cancer
therapies block these hormones from advancing hormone-positive cancers, the downside is the known side-effect of bone
loss. Bone loss, or osteoporosis, is a serious concern because
it can lead to brittle thinning of the bones and easy bone fractures. Men treated with androgen deprivation therapy for
prostate cancer, who were then given alendronate, a drug used to treat osteoporosis, showed significantly increased bone
mass compared to men who did not receive the drug.
1. wikiCancer.org provides information and support for cancers like lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer.
Posted at 2:23AM on Mar 3rd 2006 by Cancer Information and Support for Breast Cancer