Capsule Commentary on Shahinian et al.: Patterns of Bone Mineral Density Testing in Men Receiving Androgen Deprivation for Prostate Cancer

Excerpt

This analysis of SEER-Medicare data by Shahinian and Kuo compared bone mineral density (BMD) testing in prostate cancer survivors on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to prostate cancer survivors who were not receiving ADT.1 BMD testing in the men on ADT increased from less than 1% in 1996 to 11.5% in 2008. While BMD testing increased in the prostate cancer survivors not on ADT, it occurred at a much lower rate, increasing from less than 1% to 4.4%. This increase in BMD testing is not surprising and is clinically appropriate given that ADT use is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures. The authors also show that patients who were cared for by a urologist alone were significantly less likely to undergo BMD testing than those cared for by both a urologist and a primary care physician (PCP). Given what we know about the bony side effects of ADT, why isn’t BMD testing more common? …