@article {KRAEMER4423, author = {B. KRAEMER and R. ROTHMUND and M. BANYS and N. KRAWCZYK and E.-F. SOLOMAYER and C. MACK and D. WALLWIENER and T. FEHM}, title = {Impaired Bone Microenvironment: Correlation between Bone Density and Presence of Disseminated Tumor Cells}, volume = {31}, number = {12}, pages = {4423--4428}, year = {2011}, publisher = {International Institute of Anticancer Research}, abstract = {Background: Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow (BM) occur in 30-40\% of primary breast cancer patients. An impaired bone microenvironment may lead to reduced bone density and osteoporosis affecting the BM as a homing site for DTCs. The bone mineral density (BMD) and its correlation to DTC in BM was evaluated. Materials and Methods: One hundred and eighty-one women (70 premenopausal, 111 postmenopausal) underwent quantitative ultrasonometry before adjuvant chemotherapy. BM aspirates were analyzed by immunocytochemistry using the ACIS system (Chromavision) based on immunostaining. Results: DTCs were detected in 39\% of the patients. Positive BM status correlated significantly with the nodal status. BMD was significantly reduced in the postmenopausal patients (p=0.003). Smaller tumors and higher BMD correlated significantly (p\<0.014). Fifty percent of the patients with preclinical osteoporosis were BM positive, whereas 37\% with normal or osteopenic BMD had DTCs. Conclusion: An impaired bone micro-environment as found in preclinical osteoporosis might be a homing site for DTCs.}, issn = {0250-7005}, URL = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/31/12/4423}, eprint = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/31/12/4423.full.pdf}, journal = {Anticancer Research} }