Low bone mineral density may be associated with long-term risk of cancer in the middle-aged population: A retrospective observational study from a single center

Abstract

Background: It is generally understood that cancer patients are at an increased risk for osteoporosis. Additionally, recent studies have suggested a shared pathophysiological mechanism between the development of cancer and osteoporosis. The purpose of this investigation was to investigate whether low bone mineral density is associated with cancer risk. Methods: We enrolled 8780 subjects who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and cancer screening from January 1, 2008–December 31, 2012 from a cohort selected from Chang Gung Health Care Center in Taiwan. The study end point was a definite pathological diagnosis of cancer or admission for cancer treatment. Results: During a mean follow-up of 6.6 ± 1.5 years, 110 incident cases of cancer occurred. The overall incidence of cancer was significantly higher in those patients with a low BMD (1.3%) than in those with a normal BMD (1.0%). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that older age, smoking, and low BMD (hazard ratio: 1.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.0–2.3) were significant independent risk factors for cancer. Conclusion: Our investigation suggested that subjects with a low BMD may have a higher long-term risk of cancer compared with subjects with a normal BMD. Keywords: Bone mineral density, Cancer