Milk may keep bone cancer at bay

In a study on mice with breast cancer, those with a calcium deficiency were more likely to see their cancer metastasize to the bones. Also, mice on a low calcium diet had more bone affected by cancer.

Experts shared that 70 percent of advanced cancer patients develop bone tumors, and many older women are calcium deficient. The spread of cancer to bones triggers a cellular process which breaks existing bone down, resulting in more pain, illness and a bone environment ripe for further cancer growth.

While animal study results do not necessarily mimic human response, breast cancer patients with a calcium deficiency could be at a higher risk of bone metastases. Dietary calcium could serve as a supporting treatment to prevent the spread of cancer to the bone.

The study was completed by researchers at the ANZAC Research Institute in Australia, and published in the October issue of Cancer Research. Read the full story in Science Daily.