Bisphosphonates May Protect against Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women with Early Breast Cancer Receiving Adjuvant Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy: Results from a Meta-analysis

Background and AimsThe efficacy of bisphosphonates (BPs) in treating bone loss associated with cancer therapies has been demonstrated in completed studies and ongoing clinical trials. The aim of this study was to investigate the evidence for BP use in treatment of bone loss in postmenopausal, early breast cancer (EBC) patients scheduled to receive aromatase inhibitors (AI).MethodsA comprehensive search for relative articles published until December 2013 was performed. The outcomes included the percentage and absolute change in lumbar spine (LS) and total hip (TH) bone mineral density (BMD). Before pooled meta-analysis, the studies were evaluated for publication bias and heterogeneity. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. We also performed subgroup and sensitivity analyses.ResultsA total of 11 trials contributed to the analysis. BP was shown to be efficacious in increasing BMD at the LS and TH. WMD in BMD absolute change was 0.21 g/cm2 (95% CI, 0.13-0.28) at the LS and 0.27 g/cm2 (95% CI, 0.02-0.12) at the TH. WMD in BMD percentage change was 5.42 (95% CI, 4.37-6.48) at the LS and 3.03 (95% CI, 2.01-4.01) at the TH. Subgroup analysis revealed that age difference, interventional duration, types of interventions and BP types were associated with variable effects on BMD at the LS and TH.ConclusionsBPs may protect against bone loss in postmenopausal women with EBC receiving adjuvant AI treatment.