Effect of biphosphonates on teleangiectasia in irradiated breast cancer patients

About half of all cancer patients who have survivied up to 20 years following
diagnosis receive radiotherapy sometimes as being one of the main components of
multimodality cancer treatment with also chemotherapy and surgery. Vascular
injury is the major cause of late radiation morbidity developing slowly and
progressively over many years and currently there is no preventative treatment.
Our hypothesis is that biphosphonate inhibit the release of bone marrow derived
mononuclear cells, and that this will have a beneficial effect on the
development of pathogenic microvasculature.

To determine the effects of biphosphonates on radiation induced microvascular
damage in the skin of breast cancer patients by comparing skin biopsies taken
prior to and 4 months after treatment with a biphosphonate.

The study is as follows:Three different groups of patients with breast cancer
can be entered in this trial. In the past all groups underwent radiotherapy
for breast cancer and now will be treated with biphosphonate. Two times two
skin biopsies will be taken, before and after four months of treatment with a
biphosphonate. This is to compare whether biphosphonates have an effect on
inhibition of vascular damage in the irradiated skin.

Two biopsies will be taken during the regular hospital visit. It will take 10
minutes extra time. The skin round the biopsy area will be anaesthetized and a
4 mm diameter, 1 mm deep punch biopsy will be taken. A bleeding is possible but
very rare and will be solved by using a plaster.