What Breast Cancer Means for Your Bones

How many times a day do you think about your bones? How many times a week or month or year? For most women, the answer is never. The sad truth is that women don’t think about their bones until something terrible happens—we fall and break a hip or an outstretched arm, we complain to our doctor about sudden back pain that turns out to be a spinal fracture. By the time our bones force us to pay attention, we’re often already headed straight for a cast or a brace. “If you fracture, you’re going to fracture again,” explains Dr. Keith Crawford, Director of Clinical Trials and Patient Education at the Prostate Health Education Network. “Regardless of your bone mineral density, after your first fracture, you’re five times more likely to experience another.” And breast cancer survivors are even more likely to suffer broken bones. Numerous studies, including the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS), have determined that breast cancer survivors are at increased risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures (NIH, British Journal of Cancer). Black breasties need to start thinking about their bones long before they can feel them. Here’s what breasties need to know about breast cancer and bone...