SCREENING FOR OSTEOPOROSIS
The same tests used to screen the general population
for osteoporosis are used to screen cancer survivors.
The most common screening test is dual-energy Xray
absorptiometry.
Disagreement on frequency for screening cancer
survivors for osteoporosis has resulted in confusion
and insufficient awareness about this long-term
effect of cancer and cancer therapies. To date, the
only relevant published guidelines are those of the
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO),
which are specifically for breast cancer survivors
(see Table 2, page 80).11 There are no published
guidelines on screening survivors of prostate cancer
or any other population at risk for cancer
therapy–induced bone loss. Diamond and colleagues
published recommendations for screening
prostate cancer patients,12 but neither ASCO nor
any other organization has reached consensus on
screening this population.