Aromatase inhibitors can cause bone loss, so patients taking them are often prescribed bisphosphonates to help prevent osteoporosis. Unfortunately, they are not always warned about the serious side effects.

About 80% of breast cancers are estrogen-receptor positive (ER+), which means they need estrogen in order to grow. There are two main types of oral anti-estrogen therapy: selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and aromatase inhibitors (AIs). While they both aim to slow or stop the growth of hormone receptor-positive tumors by preventing the cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow, they work by different mechanisms and have different safety profiles.

Radiation is a major environmental carcinogen. The most important distinction in terms of health is whether the radiation is ionizing or non-ionizing. Ionizing radiation has enough energy to remove electrons from atoms, which turns them into ions and creates free radicals. Cancer is the illness most commonly associated with ionizing radiation, because it damages the DNA in cells. Cells that are rapidly dividing, such as those in infants in growing children, are most sensitive to ionizing radiation. Pregnant women in particular should try to avoid ionizing radiation.