researchers get interested in breast cancer patients' fingernails

[Lani]

as an indirect sign of their bone health, that is.

Breast. 2009 Feb 23. [Epub ahead of print]

Bone Quality Test (BQT) scores of fingernails in postmenopausal patients treated with adjuvant letrozole or tamoxifen for early breast cancer.

Sun Z, Goldhirsch A, Price KN, Colleoni M, Ravaioli A, Simoncini E, Campbell I, Gelber RD, Towler M.
IBCSG Statistical Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
BACKGROUND: The relationship between nail and bone may be measurable, thus making the fingernail a potentially valuable tool for assessing bone health for women receiving treatment for breast cancer. In the BIG 1-98 Fingernail Pilot Substudy, Bone Quality Test (BQT) scores of fingernails were measured at two assessment timepoints. METHODS: Thirteen eligible patients were enrolled into the substudy during their treatment with tamoxifen (four patients) or letrozole (nine patients). Two fingernails were tested and BQT scores averaged for two assessments six months apart. RESULTS: BQT scores collected six months later (second assessment) significantly decreased compared with those at first collection (p=0.007) regardless of treatment and prior fracture. CONCLUSION: The reduction of BQT scores observed in the patients of our small exploratory study during exposure to bone-altering breast cancer treatments is an incentive for larger studies using this technique.
PMID: 19243946