Evaluation of the covalently linked antimetabolite 5-FdU with alendronate in a preclinical breast cancer bone metastases mouse model

Patients diagnosed with breast cancer in advanced tumor stages show a high frequency of skeletal metastases. These bone lesions uncouple the balance between bone formation and resorption, resulting in severe osteolysis. These lesions often result in increased fracture risk, compression of the spine and hypercalmia, decreasing the quality of life for the patient. As a result, anti-cancer chemotherapeutics are often combined with bisphosphonates, a class of drugs with high affinity for bone mineral which inhibit bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Recently, conjugated drugs have been developed which combine the anti-tumor…