A recent study has been published confirming that women taking a bisphosphonate drug (bone-building agent) to prevent osteoporosis and osteopenia may actually be receiving an added benefit: A reduced risk of breast-cancer recurrence.

This is good news for breast-cancer survivors and possibly also to those at increased risk of getting this disease.

Research was conducted on breast-cancer survivors who were taking a bone-building agent (a common practice in women taking hormonal therapy as part of their treatment). These women were followed for several years thereafter and the researchers found that their risk of developing a recurrence of their breast cancer was reduced by one-third, compared to other breast-cancer survivors not on a bone-building medication.

(Note: Other-the-counter calcium is not a bisphosphonate. We are talking prescription meds here.)

Take advantage of this information:

• Touch base with the medical oncologist prescribing your hormonal therapy (anti-estrogen meds) and discuss this.
• Get a bone-density scan done.
• Have the bone-density scan repeated periodically to monitor your bone health.

It's especially important to get scanned periodically if you're taking an aromatase inhibitor as your hormonal therapy, because this med can be tough on bones.

So, you'll be reducing your risk of breast cancer while you're strengthening your bones--a great discovery!