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Questions About Cancer? 1-800-4-CANCER

NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms

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BMD   

  A measure of the amount of minerals (mostly calcium and phosphorous) contained in a certain volume of bone. BMD measurements are used to diagnose osteoporosis (a condition marked by decreased bone mass), to see how well osteoporosis treatments are working, and to predict how likely the bones are to break. Low BMD can occur in patients treated for cancer. Also called bone density, bone mass, and bone mineral density.