Clue Links Hip Bone Mineral Density to Breast Cancer

Author: Allie Montgomery

Did you ever think the mineral density in your hipbone could be a clue in predicting breast cancer after menopause? A new study, which will appear in the September 1st edition of Cancer, shows that higher hipbone density could increase the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Having a higher mineral density in the hipbone may be a reflection of a lifetime of higher exposure to estrogen. Many forms of breast cancer, not all, are estrogen-sensitive. Of course, if the density of the minerals in the bone drops too low, it could bring on different health risks, such as fractures and osteoporosis. The American Cancer Society, publisher of Cancer, states the findings of this study do not change "the need to treat osteoporosis in order to reduce the risk of fractures." What it does show is that balancing hormone levels in women is important over a lifetime, for a variety of reasons.

This study was based on 9,941 postmenopausal women that took part in the Women's Health Initiative, a long term study on women's health. When the study first started, the women were at the average age of 63. They received a check-up that consisted of a hipbone mineral density scan that used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). They also had to complete a questionnaire about their medical history and their lifestyle every six months.

The women that participated in this study were then followed for the next 8 years, and during that time, 327 women had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The women that had a high mineral density in their hipbone at the start of the study were more likely to have developed breast cancer during the study.

The mineral density in the hipbone has also helped in predicting breast cancer risk beyond what the Gail risk model could. The Gail risk model estimates a woman's risk for developing breast cancer based on their current age, her age when she first began menstruating, her age when she first became a mother, her family history of breast cancer, if she has had a past biopsy, and her race.

In this particular study, the score of the mineral density in the hip bone and the Gail score were similar in predicting the risk of breast cancer. Using both of the scores together, it may be possible to further predict breast cancer in women that are postmenopausal.