From the Popular Press: What Your Patients are Reading:

Tamoxifen is a popular breast cancer drug that has been used to treat patients for the last 30 years. A new study found that breast cancer patients being treated with tamoxifen are receiving an additional benefit from the drug; tamoxifen also protects against osteoporosis-related fractures. The drug was previously found to increase the bone density of patients while in treatment. The new study compared over 11,000 women aged 50 and older who had suffered osteoporotic fractures with more than 33,000 control patients. The researchers found that current use of tamoxifen reduced a patient’s risk for overall osteoporotic fractures by 32% and for hip fractures by 53%. Unfortunately, the protection from fractures did not last for long once patients discontinued treatment with tamoxifen. Aromatase inhibitors, which are also used to treat breast cancer by lowering estrogen levels in the body, have been associated with decreased bone density and increased fracture risk. The results of this study may sway prescribers in the future to choose tamoxifen treatment over treatment with aromatase inhibitors.

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