Management of bone loss induced by aromatase inhibitors

Aromatase inhibitors are quickly becoming standard adjuvant endocrine therapy for hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, either upfront or in sequence after tamoxifen. As other means of estrogen-depleting therapy, decreasing bone mineral density is the major side effect of this treatment. As increase in fracture incidence have already been reported in most major trials of aromatase inhibitors. Bisphosphonates are used to treat this cancer-treatment induced bone loss, the available data is reviewed here.