Oral bisphosphonate use tied to lower endometrial cancer risk

(HealthDay)—For postmenopausal women, oral bisphosphonate use is associated with a reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Polly A. Newcomb, Ph.D., from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and colleagues examined the correlation between oral bisphosphonate use and the risk of endometrial cancer in a cohort of 89,918 postmenopausal women. At baseline, a detailed health interview was conducted, and an inventory of regularly used medications was reviewed to ascertain bisphosphonate use at baseline and during follow-up.

The researchers found that 1,123 women were diagnosed with incident invasive endometrial cancer during a median follow-up of 12.5 years. There was a reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer with ever use of bisphosphonates (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.64 to 1; P = 0.05); no interactions were seen with age, body mass index, or indication for use.

"In summary, our findings suggest that use of bisphosphonates is modestly associated with reduced endometrial cancer risk, a finding consistent with the inverse association between use of this medication and breast cancer risk," the authors write.

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.