Study: Chemotherapy Resulting in Ovarian Failure May Also Lead to Bone Loss

Chemotherapy for breast cancer that results in ovarian failure may also rapidly lead to significant bone loss in the spine and femur, according to researchers at Ohio State University.

Researchers followed 49 women diagnosed with invasive stage I or II breast cancer, using dual-energy absorptiometry to measure bone densitometry of the spine and femur before chemotherapy, 6 months afterwards and 12 months afterwards.

Thirty-five of the women developed ovarian failure within 12 months after chemotherapy. Their median age of 44 was significantly older than the women retaining menstrual function, who had an average age of 38, according to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Within six months of experiencing ovarian failure, the women showed an average of 4 percent loss in bone mineral density of their spine and a 2.6 percent loss in their femur. The women retaining ovarian function did not experience any significant loss of bone mineral density.

Researchers liken chemotherapy induced ovarian failure to that of oophorectomy, the surgical removal of the ovaries, rather than to natural menopause, where there is not such a dramatic loss of estrogen.

Researchers recommend that patients receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer who experience ovarian failure should be monitored for bone mineral density and be treated for prevention of bone loss if necessary.

Other sources: Journal of Clinical Oncology