Bone-active drugs in premenopausal women with breast cancer under hormone-deprivation therapies

Abstract

Background Bone health management in pre-menopausal women with breast cancer (BC) under hormone-deprivation therapies (HDTs) is often challenging, and the effectiveness of bone-active drugs is still unknown. Methods This retrospective multicenter study included 306 premenopausal women with early BC undergoing HDTs. Bone mineral density (BMD) and morphometric vertebral fractures (VFs) were assessed 12 months after HDTs initiation and then after at least 24 months. Results After initial assessment, bone-active drugs were prescribed in 77.5% of women (151 denosumab 60 mg/6 months, 86 bisphosphonates). After 47.0±20.1 months, new VFs were found in 16 women (5.2%). VFs risk was significantly associated with obesity [OR 3.87, p=0.028], family history of hip fractures or VFs (OR 3.21, p=0.040], chemotherapy-induced menopause (OR 6.48, p<0.001), pre-existing VFs (OR 25.36, p<0.001), baseline T-score ≤-2.5 SD at any skeletal site (OR 4.14, p=0.036) and changes at lumbar and total hip BMD (OR 0.94, p=0.038 and OR 0.88, p<0.001, respectively). New VFs occurred more frequently in women untreated compared to those treated with bone-active drugs (14/69, 20.8% vs. 2/237, 0.8%; p<0.001) and the anti-fracture effectiveness remained significant after correction for BMI (OR 0.033; p<0.001), family history of fractures (OR 0.030; p<0.001), chemotherapy-induced menopause (OR 0.04; p<0.001) and pre-existing VFs (OR 0.014; p<0.001). Conclusions Pre-menopausal women under HDTs are at high risk of VFs in relationship with high BMI, densitometric diagnosis of osteoporosis, pre-existing VFs and family history of osteoporotic fractures. VFs in this setting might be effectively prevented by bisphosphonates or denosumab.