High bone mineral density of the lumbar spine is positively associated with breast cancer

Abstract

Objective. The objective of this study was to verify possible associations between bone mineral density (BMD) and breast cancer in recently diagnosed women in the Brazilian Mid-west region, considering the menopausal status of patients. Methods. A case-control study was conducted with 142 cases of breast cancer and 234 controls matched by for age, body mass index (BMI), and menopausal status (pre- and postmenopause), performed in a university hospital in the Brazilian Mid-west. Lumbar spine (L1-L4), femoral neck, and total femur BMD were measured by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method. For association, a logistic regression analysis was used. Results. Women in the highest lumbar spine BMD quartile presented had a higher chance of developing breast cancer (OR = 2.31; 1.02-5.25; p = 0.045), after adjusting for the confounding variables. Nonetheless, there were no statistically significant differences in the association between pre- and postmenopause in that quartile and breast cancer. Conclusions. High lumbar spine BMD was positively associated with breast cancer in the total sample. In evaluating the BMD of the femoral neck and total femur, such an association was not observed.