Children with Cancer are Prone to Fragile Bones
Children with cancer are at a real risk for bone problems (including bone necrosis and fractures related to osteoporosis) in their lifetime as a combined effect of sedentary behaviors due to their chronic illness and inhibition of bone growth and mineralization as side effects of treatments.
… there are two factors that negatively effect bone turnover in children with cancer. First, patients with cancer are less physically active. Second, chemotherapy and cranial radiotherapy are linked to decreased bone formation and abnormally low BMD.
This low BMD may persist for years after treatment and is associated with symptoms, which can be as benign as bone pain or as severe as fractures. The authors report that the risk of fractures in children with low BMD significantly increases several fold.
Such were the revelations in a report published in the April 1, 2007 issue of CANCER (published by the American Cancer Society).
The report urges physician caring for children with cancer to be wary of signs of bone fragility which can be reduced by early management: exercise and use of bisphosphonates.
Read the full report.
Tags: bone-fragility, childhood-cancer, osteoporosisRelated Stories
POSTED IN: general commentary
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