Stop! Healthy bones ahead Maintaining bone density could be the key to decreasing the spread of breast cancer in women.According to research at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, women treated for locally advanced breast cancer (stages two and three) who received zoledronic acid,a bone strengthening drug,were less likely to have tumor cells growing in their bones three months later. "Tumor cells are continually being released from the primary tumor,"says lead author Dr. Rebecca Aft, associate professor of surgery and a Washington University breast surgeon at Barnes Jewish Hospital."It is thought that the bone marrow harbors these cells and that these cells are likely to evolve into metastatic disease.We think that zoledronic acid changes the bone marrow so that cancer cells are unable to lodge there." According to Aft, chemotherapy has increased rates of bone turnover, which can produce a favorable environment for cancer cells. Inhibiting that turnover through zoledronic acid and other bisphosphonates thus creates a less cancerfriendly environment and noticeable results, particularly in women who don't have any tumor cells in their bone marrow. "Women who are negative for tumor cells in bone marrow have a very good chance of staying negative if they take zoledronic acid,"says Aft."If longer follow up shows that women without tumor cells in their bones do not go on to develop metastatic disease, then it would be reasonable to say that bisphosphonates will likely benefit women with locally advanced breast cancer." —Melanie Wanzek CTW Features