Bone drugs likely to reduce colon cancer risk in menopause women: New study

The study has raised researchers’ hopes of using bisphosphonates, which are indicated to stall the loss of bone mass, to help prevent cancer in healthy people, reuters.com reported.

Earlier studies have revealed that women taking bisphosphonates have a lower risk of breast cancer.

But till now, it was unclear if that effect could be attributed to these drugs; because they are meant to treat osteoporosis (it lowers estrogen levels which reduce breast cancer risk).

In contrast, colon cancer has not been linked to estrogen till now.

Haifa-based Carmel Medical Center researcher Gad Rennert and his team found that women who had been taking bisphosphonates, mainly the drug alendronate (Fosamax), for at least a year had a significantly lower risk of developing colon cancer later.

Reuters quoted Rennert as saying that alendronate is used by millions of women across the globe and has few side effects, apart from a very rare long-term one which involves bone death of the jaw.