High body fat raises fracture risk in women treated for breast cancer

Women with high body fat undergoing early breast cancer treatment may be at higher risk for vertebral fractures, despite the use of bone health drugs, according to a study published January 10 in JAMA Network Open. In a study of patients who received aromatase inhibitors and denosumab over four years, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans showed that high baseline fat body mass was independently associated with vertebral fractures after 18 months, wrote lead author Deborah Cosentini, MD, of the University of Brescia in Italy, and colleagues. “These findings suggest that fat body mass may promote skeletal fragility in postmenopausal women undergoing adjuvant aromatase inhibitors, despite the protective role of denosumab,” the group noted. Nearly 80% of early breast cancers in postmenopausal women are hormone receptor (HR)-positive, with five-year adjuvant treatment with aromatase inhibitors the gold standard therapy for these patients, the authors explained. The treatment decreases bone mineral density, however, which increases the risk of bone fracture, and thus osteoporosis medications such as denosumab are also prescribed. Risk factors for fractures in women receiving both aromatase inhibitors and denosumab have not been explored to date, the group added. To address this gap in knowledge, the researchers enrolled 237 women with early breast cancer who were undergoing adjuvant treatment with aromatase inhibitors and denosumab (60 mg every six months) at thei...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Digital X-Ray Womens Imaging Source Type: news