Men with prostate cancer face a 50 per cent higher risk of fracture and this nearly doubles if they are receiving hormone treatment (ADT), scientists at the Garvan Institute for Medical Research found.

Garvan’s Associate Professor Tuan Nguyen said the results – published in Bone journal – suggested a link between the two diseases although the scientists still did not understand how.

“The clear message that comes out of this study is that men with prostate cancer should consider seeking evaluation for osteoporosis, particularly if they are being treated with ADT,” Professor Ngyuen said.

He and his colleagues studied 822 men from Dubbo, NSW, for nearly 20 years and 43 developed prostate cancer.

These men showed a 50 per cent increase in the risk of fracture despite many having higher bone mineral density (BMD) than average.

Twenty-two of the men received ADT and for them the risk increased approximately two-fold, the scientists found.