Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Hip bone density helps predict breast cancer risk

Hip bone density helps predict breast cancer risk

July 28, 2008

Measuring a woman's bone mineral density can provide additional information that may help more accurately determine a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. That is the conclusion of a new study published in the September 1, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's results suggest that incorporating bone mineral density tests with current risk assessments might significantly improve physicians' ability to predict breast cancer risk in older, postmenopausal women.

Bone mineral density testing is done to diagnose osteoporosis and help assess the risk of fractures. Low bone mineral density is linked to higher risk of fractures, while normal density is linked to lower risk of fractures. It is possible that over a woman's lifetime, hormonal and other factors that lead to higher bone mineral density (and lower risk of fractures) can also lead to higher risk of breast cancer. Studies have found an association between higher bone mineral density and higher breast cancer risk, and bone mineral density tests have been proposed as a potential addition to breast cancer risk models. This study, supported by Eli Lilly & Company, is the first to investigate the relationships among bone mineral density, traditional breast cancer risk assessment tool results, and breast cancer incidence among the same group of postmenopausal women.




To investigate these relationships, Dr. Zhao Chen of the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and her colleagues studied approximately 10,000 post-menopausal women (average age 63) taking part in the Women's Health Initiative, a study conducted in 40 clinical centers throughout the United States and supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The researchers assessed the women's initial bone mineral density level as well as their score on the Gail risk model, a well known and commonly used tool that estimates five year and lifetime risk of invasive breast cancer for women 35 years of age or older. They then followed the women for an average of approximately 8 years, noting which women developed breast cancer.

As expected, the study found that women with a high Gail score had a 35 percent increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to women with a lower Gail score. But the study also found a 25 percent increase in the risk of developing the disease with each unit increase in total hip bone mineral density t-score. While the two scores were independent of each other, women who had the highest scores on both assessments had a much higher risk in breast cancer.

The findings suggest that adding bone mineral density to currently used risk assessment tools may significantly improve the prediction of breast cancer risk. "Future studies should investigate whether incorporating bone mineral density and Gail score with other risk factors, such as breast density, can further improve the identification of women at high risk for developing breast cancer," the authors wrote. This study also suggests that bone mineral density is a potential alternative for predicting breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women if Gail score is not available. Additional studies are needed to determine if the results from this investigation are applicable to a broader group of women, including minorities. The findings do not change the use of bone mineral density testing to diagnose osteoporosis or the need to treat osteoporosis in order to reduce the risk of fractures.

American Cancer Society



Related Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News RSS Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News RSS
Study identifies causes of bone loss in breast cancer survivors
Osteoporosis is a growing concern among breast cancer survivors and their doctors, because certain cancer drugs can cause bone loss.

2 new compounds show promise for eliminating breast cancer tumors
Two new compounds created by a University of Central Florida professor show early promise for destroying breast cancer tumors.

UNC researchers find clue to stopping breast-cancer metastasis
If scientists knew exactly what a breast cancer cell needs to spread, then they could stop the most deadly part of the disease: metastasis. New research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine takes a step in that direction.

Fear, misconceptions about screenings keep many African-Americans from getting mammograms
Training physicians and caregivers to improve cultural sensitivity and communication with economically disadvantaged African-American patients could influence these women to get mammograms that could save their lives.

New technology could revolutionize breast cancer screening
The world's first radar breast imaging system developed at Bristol University that could revolutionise the way women are scanned for breast cancer, is being trialled at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT).

Battling bacteria in the blood: Researchers tackle deadly infections
It's a leading cause of death, but no one knows for sure how and why it happens. It's a major source of health care costs, adding days or weeks to the hospital stays and lost work time of millions of people. But no one fully understands how best to fight it.

Mayo Clinic Study Finds Risk Assessment Tool Not Reliable Predictor for Some Women at High Risk of Breast Cancer
A statistical model commonly used to predict the risk of breast cancer in women was not accurate when used to evaluate women with atypical hyperplasia, according to a new Mayo Clinic study published in the Oct. 14, 2008, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Migraines associated with lower risk of breast cancer
Women who suffer from migraines may take at least some comfort in a recent, first-of-its-kind study that suggests a history of such headaches is associated with a significantly lower risk of breast cancer.

Folic acid, B vitamins do not appear to affect cancer risk
A daily supplementation combination that included folic acid and vitamin B6 and B12 had no significant effect on the overall risk of cancer, including breast cancer, among women at high risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study in the November 5 issue of JAMA.

Healthy bones program reduces hip fractures by 37 percent
Proactive measures can reduce hip fracture rates by an average of 37.2 percent -- and as much as 50 percent -- among those at risk, according to a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente Southern California. The study was published online on November 3 by The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, a peer-reviewed journal.
More Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles


Breast Cancer Husband : How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) during Diagnosis, Treatment and Beyond
by Marc Silver

A unique guide, like none other on the market-packed with medical information, practical tips, psychological insight, and coping strategies-to help men help the women they love through this trying time. When Marc Silver became a breast cancer husband three years ago, he learned firsthand how frightened and helpless the breast cancer husband feels. He searched in vain for a book that would give...



Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor's Soul: Stories to Inspire, Support and Heal (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Mary Olsen Kelly

Your support group in a book, filled with boundless strength and profound hope - until the fight is won. Along with the shock, fear and loss many women face upon a breast cancer diagnosis comes unexpected strength, wisdom, and strong networks of sharing, support and healing. In Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor's Soul, survivors and their family members talk openly about how difficult...



Choices in Breast Cancer Treatment: Medical Specialists and Cancer Survivors Tell You What You Need to Know (A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book)

A diagnosis of breast cancer can be overwhelming. The disease is frightening and the medical landscape confusing. In the wake of fear and confusion comes the need to make decisions about treatment. This book provides women with medically reliable and up-to-date information to help them with these decisions.Within these pages is a team of private consultants -- including surgeons, medical...



The Breast Cancer Survivor's Fitness Plan (Harvard Medical School Guides)
by Carolyn M. Kaelin, Francesca Coltrera, Josie Gardiner, Joy Prouty

The only breast cancer recovery program designed by a Harvard doctor and survivor and approved by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) Feel healthy again. Regain control of your life. Exciting new research reveals that regular exercise can reduce the chance of breast cancer recurrence and extend your life. Exercise can also help you recover energy, strength, and flexibility diminished by...



Breast Cancer Survival Manual, Fourth Edition: A Step-by-Step Guide for the Woman With Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer
by John Link

A completely updated edition of the definitive guide for patients with breast cancer The new fourth edition of The Breast Cancer Survival Manual provides essential updates on treatment and care, enhancing the basic information that has made this the most trusted guide for women diagnosed with breast cancer for the past decade. This edition includes the most current advice on • getting a second...



What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About(TM): Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance Can Help Save Your Life (What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About...)
by John R. Lee, David Zava, Virginia Hopkins

An informative and absorbing read for both medical practitioners and their patients, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer takes aim at "the breast cancer industry" with a barrage of thought-provoking ammunition. The book is equal parts criticism and suggestion. Current health treatments, including HRT, receive serious condemnation, and authors John Lee and David Zava carefully...



Breast Cancer: Real Questions, Real Answers
by David Chan

Breast Cancer: Real Questions, Real Answers is an outgrowth of Dr. David Chan's more than 20 years in private oncology practice. Inspired by his patients—who courageously face their illness but often feel fearful, confused about their options, and full of questions—Dr. Chan's book is uniquely structured as a Question and Answer between patient and doctor. It provides readers with an easily...



I Am Not My Breast Cancer: Women Talk Openly About Love and Sex, Hair Loss and Weight Gain, Mothers and Daughters, and Being a Woman with Breast Cancer
by Ruth Peltason

I Am Not My Breast Cancer gathers the warm, loving, frank, and informed voices of more than eight hundred women—from every state in the nation and from continents as far away as Australia and Africa—who reveal their fears, trade advice, share experiences, and express their deepest, most intimate concerns. Essential reading for any woman with this diagnosis, it offers the companionship of...



The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet: The Powerful Foods, Supplements, and Drugs That Can Save Your Life
by Dr. Bob Arnot

"From one of the most visible and highly respected figures in medical journalism comes a book that can literally save lives. During the past several years, doctors at leading institutions across the nation have been investigating the relationship between breast cancer and diet. The recent flood of medical studies confirm that what a woman eats can have a dramatic impact on whether or not...



Living Through Breast Cancer - PB
by Carolyn M. Kaelin

Winner of two prestigious American Medical Writers Association awards A compassionate guide to surviving breast cancer from a doctor who has experienced it from both sides of the stethoscope In addition to being a leading national breast cancer expert and a highly respected cancer surgeon, Dr. Carolyn Kaelin also is a breast cancer survivor. In Living Through Breast Cancer she draws upon her...

© 2008 BrightSurf.com