Study clears misconception linked to joint pain from breast cancer drugs
November 8th, 2010 - 3:25 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Nov 08 (ANI): A new study has suggested that women can continue popping aromatase inhibitors (AI), popular breast cancer drugs, as these drugs do have any risk of inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune disease, as previously thought.
For many post-menopausal women with breast cancer promoted by the hormone estrogen, AIs can dramatically reduce the risk of their cancer coming back.
Doctors said the AIs must be taken for five years to gain the full benefit, however the development of joint complaints in up to 35 percent of women forces many of them to stop early.
“It’s not clear why these joint symptoms occur, but we wondered if they could be related to inflammation or an autoimmune disease. Our research ruled out both,” said Victoria K Shanmugam, of the Georgetown University Medical Center, who led the study.
The case-controlled study included 25 postmenopausal breast cancer patients with hand pain and no known autoimmune.
Another 23 participants who were not receiving the drugs enrolled as a control group. Subjects were evaluated after abstaining from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for 48 hours.
The rheumatologist completed a history and physical, and disease activity score. Various blood tests were conducted and x-rays and ultrasounds of all participants’ hands were performed.
“We did find 4 of 48 women with autoimmune disease - 2 in each group-that had previously been undiagnosed, but the frequency was similar both in women receiving AIs and those who were not receiving Ais.
“We found that several patients in the control arm had a similar constellation of symptoms to those receiving AIs,” said Shanmugam.
But Shanmugam and her team did not find any conclusive evidence from their tests of inflammatory arthritis in the women with breast cancer.
“Although our study helps to rule out inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune disease, we do not know why women using AIs have these musculoskeletal symptoms.
Still, knowing that the drugs are not promoting inflammatory arthritis may be beneficial to a number of women,” she concluded.
The findings would be presented at the 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Atlanta, Georgia. (ANI)
- Drug counters bone-damaging effects of breast cancer medication - Oct 10, 2011
- Key culprit in breast cancer metastasis identified - Feb 17, 2011
- How breast cancer drug causes arthritis in some women - Sep 28, 2010
- 'Master switch' for key immune cells in inflammatory diseases found - Jan 17, 2011
- Tumeric derivative found promising in tendinitis - Aug 11, 2011
- Hormone replacement therapy tied to breast cancer - Dec 30, 2011
- Acupuncture could relieve joint pain linked to breast cancer treatments - Mar 05, 2010
- 70pc of women likely to face sexual problems after breast cancer - Sep 24, 2010
- Obesity epidemic behind rheumatoid arthritis - Apr 26, 2012
- Positive outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis linked to early diagnosis - Nov 24, 2010
- Bone marrow cancer drug could be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis - Nov 04, 2010
- Common bone drugs may cut colon cancer risk - Feb 16, 2011
- Flaxseed no cure for hot flashes during menopause - Jun 06, 2011
- Women treated for breast cancer while pregnant have improved survival - Sep 30, 2010
- Simple fingertip test may identify breast cancer patients at CTS risk - Dec 11, 2010
Tags: anti inflammatory drugs, aromatase inhibitors, autoimmune disease, back doctors, breast cancer, breast cancer drugs, breast cancer patients, conclusive evidence, control arm, georgetown university medical, group subjects, hormone estrogen, inflammatory arthritis, k shanmugam, non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs, post menopausal, postmenopausal breast cancer, rheumatologist, university medical center, x rays