Study: A/C chemo takes toll on bones

The skeletal health of pre-menopausal women with estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer took a beating after six cycles of doxorubicin (Doxil)/cyclophosphamide (A/C) chemotherapy.

Endocrinologists from Philipps University of Marburg, Germany compared bone mineral density, quantitative ultrasonography, and bone turnover markers in patients with age-matched controls (Eur J Cancer online, October 20, 2009).

They found that all patients became amenorrhoeic during and after chemotherapy. Patients had significant bone loss at all sites (P =.005) and significant increases in bone turnover (P = .05), the authors reported.