These Bone-Building Drugs Also Help Prevent Breast Cancer and More

One of the things we YOU Docs see over and over again -- more often than Lady Gaga has hits -- is that while all medicines have side effects, not all side effects are bad. Some are astonishingly good. Aspirin's a classic case: While your intestinal tract may not love regular doses, its protective side effects decrease heart disease and colon cancer.

The latest example: If you're taking one of the bone-building drugs called bisphosphonates -- given to many women to combat osteoporosis triggered by menopause -- you've cut your risk of endometrial cancer by more than half.

Bisphosphonates also slice your threat of colon cancer almost in half AND reduce your breast cancer risk by about a third. Pretty nifty side effects.

How come? In the process of strengthening bones, bisphosphonates make a mess out of what's called a cancer "pathway," inhibiting cell growth in some tumors. They may turn out to do more. The Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Mike's home base, has a big trial underway to see if bisphosphonates keep breast cancer from coming back.

Now, we don't wish osteoporosis on anybody. Bone breaks and hip fractures can be life-threatening, and bisphosphonates aren't perfect. For example, if you don't sit or stand for 30 minutes after taking them, they can cause intense heartburn and nausea. Also, long-term use can, ironically, increase certain unusual fractures (this is why docs may advise an occasional "drug holiday"). Still, any bone-building drug that has cancer-fighting side effects . . . who's gonna knock that?!

Treat your bones right: Stick with your meds and follow these three steps.