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Findings of a new study indicate that cancer therapies like chemotherapy and endocrine therapy may affect balance in breast cancer survivors.

Breast Cancer is the carcinoma of breast tissues that initiates from the milk ducts. Also known to be the most curable category of cancers, today breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide, especially in the United States of America. Chemotherapy and Endocrine therapy form the part of the treatment procedures generally employed to treat breast cancer.

In a recent study titled “Identifying Factors Associated With Falls in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Survivors: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach”, researchers examined the impact of cancer therapies on the balance mechanisms of the patient. Results of the study indicate that chemotherapy and endocrine therapy together raise the odds of increased imbalance amongst breast cancer survivors. Loss of balance causes the patient to fall frequently thus raising the risk of bone fractures as well.

Chemotherapy refers to the treatment procedure in which chemical agents are used to treat or control a disease or an ailment by killing the disease causing organisms, malignant cells or tumors. Endocrine therapies also known as hormonal therapies are intended to block the production of estrogen. The cancerous cells present in the tumor need estrogen in order to grow; endocrine therapy aims at restricting the estrogen from reaching the tumor cells to stop them from growing.

The present study is first of its kind comprehensive study to explore the effects of cancer therapies on the patients’ balance; a pioneer in studying the relationship between cancer treatments and the risk of falls. Findings of the study were recently published in the journal Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Taking the information collected from post-menopausal breast cancer survivors as the database for the study, the researchers identified the factors that can be attributed to the increased risk of falls among the breast cancer survivors.

During the six month long study, women in the study group were asked whether or not they had fallen in the preceding year and their responses were tracked. Researchers analyzed the fall risk for women in the study group and found clear evidence that women who have survived breast cancer are more prone to falling due to imbalance as compared to their peers. Results showed that about 58 percent of the women who survived breast cancer had experienced a fall in the preceding year and about 47 percent of them fell within the six month study period. The fall rate was found to be nearly double as compared to the fall rate (25 percent to 30 percent) among other adults aged around 65 years.
 
The study strongly brings out that increased imbalance after the treatment may serve as an explanation about the impact the cancer therapies can have on the falling risk in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.

Reference:
"Identifying Factors Associated With Falls in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Survivors: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach" -    A study by Kerri M. Winters-Stone, PhD, Britta Torgrimson, PhD, Fay Horak, PhD, PT, Alvin Eisner, PhD, Lillian Nail, PhD, RN, Michael C. Leo, PhD, Steve Chui, MD, and Shiuh-Wen Luoh, MD, from the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute, Portland

For more information, please visit: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/ehs-bcs022811.php

Disclaimer: This article is written by a non-medical professional.