Osteoporosis drug may be useful to certain breast cancer patients
Older people who are at risk for osteoporosis can maintain healthy bone density if they buy Canadian Actonel at a fraction of the price.
Older people who are at risk for osteoporosis can maintain healthy bone density if they buy Canadian Actonel at a fraction of the price. Other individuals who are prone to this bone-wasting disease include those with calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, as well as breast cancer patients undergoing a type of hormone therapy. New research suggests that people in the latter category may benefit from a drug that treats osteoporosis.
Some types of breast cancer grow more aggressively in the presence of estrogen. A type of hormone therapy known as aromatase inhibitors prevents postmenopausal women from producing estrogen, which can slow down the progression hormone-sensitive breast cancer, but may also lead to weaker bones that are more likely to break.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute enrolled more than 600 postmenopausal women who were taking aromatase inhibitors into a study on the effects of zoledronic acid, a drug to treat osteoporosis. These women either took zoledronic acid at the start of the study, or waited until they showed symptoms of weakening bones.
After five years, results showed that subjects who took zoledronic acid from the beginning had stronger bones. Those who delayed the drug had decreases in their bone density, but even they recovered some bone mass after starting the therapy.
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