The role of bisphosphonates in breast cancer: Direct effects of bisphosphonates on breast cancer cells
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* Corresponding author: Kay W Colston k.colston@sghms.ac.uk
Department of Oncology, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK
Breast Cancer Res 2002, 4:18-23 doi:10.1186/bcr412
Published: 14 November 2001Abstract
In addition to inhibiting bone resorption, bisphosphonates have also been shown to exhibit antitumour effects. In vitro, bisphosphonates inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in cultured human breast cancer cells. In addition, bisphosphonate treatment interferes with breast cancer cell adhesion to bone matrix, and inhibits cell migration and invasion. The combination of bisphosphonates with other anticancer drugs such as the taxoids markedly enhances these effects. These newly recognized direct actions of bisphosphonates on breast cancer cells indicate that these agents may have a greater role to play in treatment of patients suffering from cancers with a propensity to metastasize to bone.