Bone health during cancer treatment
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 22:07 I’m all over this, trying to get women to take note BEFORE they begin their treatment for breast cancer. After a year of chemotherapy, and then years of adjuvant chemo-suppresant therapies, I have osteoporosis. Despite lots of weight bearing exercise, and plenty of calcium and Vitamin D3 - and my Vitamin D3 levels have been tested BTW.
Sigh. So now I’m taking the evil but necessary Fosamax.
Read on:
Healthy bones are essential to our well-being. They provide structure and support for our bodies through the skeleton network, protect vital organs from injury, and store necessary minerals. Since strong, healthy bones allow us to participate in activities of daily life without pain and loss of function, attention to bone health is important at any stage of life. It is an especially important consideration for people living with cancer because cancer and cancer treatments can increase the risk of bone problems.
Osteoporosis
As we age our body loses the ability to replace the cells needed to repair and rebuild bone mass, and bones become thin and more porous. This condition is called osteoporosis, the most common kind of bone disease. When bones become weak and fragile, they are more likely to fracture (break) and cause pain and disability that can interfere with a person’s daily life.
In addition to age, other factors that can contribute to loss of bone mass include:
- Cancer metastasis (spread) to the bone, which causes bones to weaken in certain places. This can include breast cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, and lung cancer.
- Some types of chemotherapy