RATIONALE: Studying samples of fingernails in the laboratory from patients with breast cancer may help in evaluating bone health in postmenopausal women undergoing hormone therapy for breast cancer. PURPOSE: This laboratory study is examining fingernails as a way of evaluating bone health in postmenopausal women with breast cancer undergoing hormone therapy on clinical trial IBCSG-1-98.
OBJECTIVES: Primary * Compare the effects of tamoxifen vs letrozole on the chemical properties of fingernails by Raman spectroscopy in postmenopausal women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant hormonal therapy on protocol IBCSG-1-98. * Determine the efficacy of nail structure for evaluating bone fragility. Secondary * Compare fingernail assessments in patients who have had a bone fracture vs those who have not. * Determine the natural variation in chemical (Raman spectroscopy) properties of 2 fingernails sourced at 1 appointment from the same donor. * Evaluate the effect of further drug treatment (after 6 months) on the chemical properties of fingernails. OUTLINE: This is a single-blind, multicenter, pilot study. Patients are stratified according to treatment on protocol IBCSG-1-98 (tamoxifen vs letrozole) and bone fracture (yes vs no). Fingernail clippings are collected at baseline and 6 months later. Fingernail clippings are examined by Raman spectroscopy. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 60 patients will be accrued for this study.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
60
Nails will be chemically characterized using Raman spectroscopy.
Determination of bone health using fingernail assessments at baseline and 6 months
Time frame: At baseline and 6 months after inclusion in the trial
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