Adjuvant Aromatase Inhibitors in Early Breast Cancer May Not Increase the Risk of Falls

BACKGROUND: Falling increases the risk for fracture. The impact of adjuvant aromatase inhibitors (AI) on the risk of falls is undefined. METHODS: A retrospective case control study was performed examining women with early stage breast cancer on adjuvant AI and matched controls without cancer. Fall and fracture data were abstracted from the medical record. RESULTS: Matched pairs of 332 women were identified (total N = 664). There was no statistically significant difference in the odds of a fall between cases and controls, p = 0.86. Similarly, the odds of a fracture between cases and controls was not significantly different, p = 1.0. There were 35 pairs in which the case fractured but the control did not and equal number of pairs where the control fractured but the case did not. For pairs in which control fractured but case did not, the median age at fracture was significant higher than that for pairs in which case fractured but the control did not (71 vs. 63 years p = 0.0003). CONCLUSION: This study did not identify a difference in the incidence of falls or fractures in women on adjuvant AI compared to their age matched controls without breast cancer. Prospective studies of falls and fracture in women on adjuvant AI therapy compared to age match controls would aid in the identification of fracture risk.