BMJ 2001;322:1566 ( 30 June )
News extra
High bone density increases risk of breast cancer
Scott Gottlieb New York
Older women with high bone density are about twice as likely to
develop breast cancer, a new study has found.
These results add to existing evidence that suggests that older women
who have low bone mass have a decreased risk of breast cancer and,
conversely, that higher bone density is associated with increased risk
of breast cancer.
Bone mineral density can be an accurate marker of the body's response
to oestrogen, in that women with higher bone density are thought to be
physiologically more sensitive to the hormone's effects than women
with lower bone density.
Because oestrogens have also been linked to risk of breast cancer,
researchers in this study sought to determine if bone density might
help also to predict the risk of breast cancer in older women.
The study, led by Dr Jane Cauley of the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center, followed the health history of 8905 women who were 65
years or older and without breast cancer.
After six years it found that the women who scored highest on three
types of bone mineral density tests (performed on the bones of the
wrist, arm, and heel) were also more likely to develop breast cancer
(Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2001;93:930-936).
During the six year period a total of 315 women (3.5%) developed
breast cancer.
After adjusting for other risk factors that contribute to breast
cancer, such as age and obesity, the investigators found that the risk
for women with the highest bone density for all three skeletal sites
was 2.7 times greater than that for women with the lowest measurement
of bone density for all three sites.
"The results suggest that bone mineral density is one of the most
powerful predictors of breast cancer, especially advanced breast
cancer, among elderly women," Dr Cauley said.
[ high bone density is an indicator of milk consumption ]
Ray Audette
Author "NeanderThin"
www.NeanderThin.com