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March 20, 2001

Study links low bone density to lower breast cancer risk

Seattle—Women with low bone density may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer, according to a study recently conducted by Group Health Center for Health Studies.

The findings, published in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, could help women make decisions about treatment for menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis, said Diana Buist, PhD, a Group Health epidemiologist and lead author of the report.

In the largest study of its kind, the researchers measured the bone density of about 8,200 postmenopausal women. After following the population for about three and a half years, they found that 131 women in the group developed breast cancer. By dividing the entire study population into four groups according to their relative bone density, they discovered that there wasn't much difference in the number of cancers among women in the three groups with moderate to high bone density. But women who were among the 25 percent with the lowest bone density were significantly less likely to develop breast cancer.

It's too soon to use bone density as an indicator of cancer risk, Buist said. But she noted that researchers will continue to study bone density in this population to see how it relates to a variety of different cancers. In the future, our understanding of the relationship between bone density and hormonally related cancers could lead to better ways of screening for cancer as well as new ways to prevent and treat cancer.

"There is much to be learned from bone density because it's the culmination of lifetime exposure to a number of different factors, including exercise, diet, hormones, and genetics," Buist explained. Bone density measurement is highly accurate and easy to obtain, she added.

This study was done by scientists from Group Health, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the University of Washington's School of Public Health and Community Medicine.

Group Health Center for Health Studies conducts epidemiological, health-services, and clinical research related to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of major health problems. The Center also evaluates the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of health care services and technologies. Funded primarily through government and private research grants, the Center is located in Seattle, Washington.

Group Health Cooperative is the nation's largest consumer-governed health care system, serving nearly 600,000 people in Washington and Idaho.

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