Via practica 1/2018

Secondary osteoporosis in patients with malignancies

While early diagnosis of malignancies and continual improving of antineoplastic therapy especially in breast cancer and prostate cancer lead to improved survival, it can cause late toxicities as well. Secondary osteoporosis should be one of them. Estrogens have a dominant role in bone turnover. Inhibitors of aromatase block extra gonadal synthesis of estrogens. Also, androgen depriving therapy blocks production of androgens in men with prostate cancer. Moreover, chemotherapy and cancer cells by themselves can caused lowering of BMD (bone mineral density) and low BMD correlate with low traumatic fractures. These fractures, especially those of hip and spine, do not only reduce quality of life, but can even reduce the survival of cancer patients. This is the reason why we have to think about it, we need to make some preventive measures and we need to make the diagnosis as soon as possible, and we to treat osteoporosis if it appears.

Keywords: osteoporosis, malignancy, breast cancer, prostate cancer, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis