#2986 Chemotherapy Causes Loss of Bone Mineral Density. K Sachdeva, K Hopper, S Ali, K Leitzel, HA Harvey, A Lipton; Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey Park, PA; VA Medical Center, Lebanon, PA In experimental animals chemotherapy directly leads to decreased trabecular bone volume, decreased bone formation and increased bone resorption. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chemotherapy on bone density. We assessed serial spinal bone mineral density (BMD) by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in 19 patients with breast and colorectal cancer. Sixteen patients receiving only chemotherapy without steroids or other bone resorptive agents were evaluated whereas 3 patients in addition to chemotherapy either received pamidronate or tamoxifen. Of the sixteen patients, there were 4 males and 12 postmenopausal females. Seven patients had breast and 9 patients had colorectal cancer. These patients received different chemotherapeutic agents, which included 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, levamisole, irinotecan, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, docetaxel. Navelbine, and mitomycin-C alone or in combination. One breast cancer patient received peripheral stem cell transplant. Median age at the start of chemotherapy was 65 years (range 36-79). Median number of days between the QCT was 279.5 (range 58-899). Median BMD at the start of chemotherapy was 95.6 gm/cm2 (range 78.7 to 138.8) with progressive fall to81.2 gm/cm2 (range 23.1 to 119.8) at the end of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy caused decreased BMD in all sixteen patients. Chemotherapy caused a median decrease in BMD of 17.1 gm/cm2 (range 2.8 to 88.2) or 19.1% (range 3.3% to 79.2%). There was a significant decrease in the final BMD when compared to starting BMD (p=0.0004). Interestingly the three patients who received chemotherapy plus either tamoxifen or pamidronate had no decrease in BMD. In conclusion, chemotherapy caused significant decrease in BMD in men and postmenopausal women. These results suggest that a large trial should be undertaken to confirm these findings and to evaluate the long-term effects of chemotherapy on bone health. J Clinical Oncology, 7/01 Altern Med Rev, 2/01 Flaxseed Influences Endogenous Hormones Repletion w/N-3 Fatty Acids Reverses Bone Deficits (Rats) Bone Loss: vitamin D, strontium, vitamin K, & essential fatty acids J Clin Endocrinol Metab 12/01 Dietary Chicory Inulin & BMD (rats) Breast Cancer Res Treat, 6/02 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.