The January issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reported that once a week treatment with Risedronate prevents bone loss in breast cancer patients who underwent treatment with chemotherapy.
Risedronate, a bisphosphonate used to strengthen the bone, is shown to increase bone mineral density (BMD) in the spine by 1.2% after one year of treatment. Markers of bone resorption decreased significantly in the treatment group compared with the placebo group.
The authors noted "These results have important clinical ramifications for breast cancer survivors who go into remission after aggressive therapy. Because of the long-term survival of this cohort, they are at risk for bone loss and osteoporosis. Skeletal integrity needs to be assessed and considered as part of their long-term management."
Some other topics on The Cancer Blog concerning bisphosphonates:
Premenopausal breast cancer patients and bone loss
Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Survivors at Risk for Osteoporosis
