Objective  To analyze the effect of bisphosphonates combined with calcitriol in the treatment of patients with osteoporosis due to endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

  Methods  A total of 159 patients with osteoporosis due to endocrine therapy for breast cancer were selected and divided into groups A, B and C, with 53 cases in each group. Group A was treated with calcitriol, group B was treated with calcitriol combined with alendronate sodium (bisphosphonates), and group C was treated with calcitriol combined with ibandronate sodium (bisphosphonates). Bone metabolism indexes, immune cytokines, joint pain, bone mineral density, clinical efficacy and adverse reactions were compared among the three groups.

  Results  Compared with group A and group B, the tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP), procollagen of type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP), bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), bone gla protein (BGP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and the joint pain score decreased significantly in group C, while the levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) bone mineral density and TNF-β₁ (TGF-β₁) decreased significantly in group C (P < 0.05). Compared with group A and B, the total effective rate of group C was significantly higher (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  Application of bisphosphonates combined with calcitriol can enhance the immune function of patients with osteoporosis due to endocrine therapy for breast cancer, improve the abnormal bone metabolism, and increase the bone mineral density. Among lots of bisphosphonates drugs, the effect of ibandronate sodium is the best.