Quoted from http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20111110/LIFE07/311100023/Study-opposes-routine-use-of-bone-drug-for-breast-cancer
Study opposes routine use of bone drug for breast cancer
Nov. 9, 2011
Kathleen Doheny | HealthDay
The bone drug Zometa, once considered a promising weapon to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence, should not be used routinely in treatment of the disease, researchers say.
In a study of breast cancer patients, Zometa (zoledronic acid) did not increase disease-free survival overall, and it appeared to raise the risk of a serious side effect, said Dr. Robert Coleman, the study’s co-author and a professor of medical oncology at the University of Sheffield in England.
However, “for the one-third of women in the study who had gone fully through menopause at the time of study entry, there is significant benefit in terms of both disease recurrence and overall survival,” Coleman said.
Women receiving hormone therapy for breast cancer treatment are prone to weakening and thinning of the bone, a condition known as osteoporosis, so they often receive bone-building drugs known as bisphosphonates.
Some previous research had suggested these bone drugs might also help to prevent recurrence of breast cancer.