The results of a recently completed study show that high bone mineral density (BMD) can be linked to increased chances of developing breast cancer.

The newly found information comes to support other findings that indicate a connection between bone health and breast cancer risk. One of the related studies, presented in May during the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, discovered that Zometa, a drug that is usually used for treating osteoporosis, reduces the risk of recurrence of breast cancer for premenopausal women. 

Another study made public this year as well, revealed that women with breast cancer who present vitamin D (which is of paramount importance to bone health) deficiencies have higher chances of experiencing recurrences or even of dying from the disease.   

The new study, conducted by University of Arizona, Tucson scientists, brought together Gail scores and hip BMD data gathered from about 10,000 postmenopausal women. The Gail model uses information regarding family history, age and several other factors in order to estimate the risk of developing breast cancer over a five year period and over one’s lifetime.

According to Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge, La, women who present high bone densities are usually overweight or obese; it seems that such conditions increase the risk of breast cancer.

Despite these new results, things are not at all clear. Dr. Mary Daly, director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said that the exact connections between estrogen, bone density and breast cancer still remain to be cleared up.