Bisphosphonates For State II and III

[Barbara]

Stage II and III Gals:

A presentation at the SABCS reported that bisphosphonate clodronate reduces morbidity and mortality even among patients who relapsed. Stage I-III patients who received adjuvant oral clodronate lived a median of approximately 2.5 years longer than patients receiving a placebo. I showed the article to my oncologist at my visit last week and he said if I wanted it he would prescribe it for me. I decided to think about it for a month. Are any of you on a oral bisphosphonate in the adjuvant setting to prevent bone mets? If so have you had any serious side affects.

[*_KathySC_*]

Barbara, I have been waiting for the FDA to approve clodronate. It will be called Bonefos - Berlex here in the USA. I read the same article in the Pharmacy Today , January issue and be willing to take it once it becomes available... and I convince my oncologist. I have ostepenia so I'm hoping he won't put up to much of a fuss. The great part of the article is that the bisphosphonate group lived longer regardless of whether they received it after metastases. Thanks for bringing it to the groups attention.
Kathy

[michele u]

Could you give us a link to that article? Thanks

[*_jeff_*]

Hello all,

There have been a number of studies in the past five years or so on bisphosphonate use in the adjuvant setting: here's George Sledge's take on the matter (scroll down to the bottom of the interview). He's one of the best "out of the box" oncology researchers out there, to my mind.

http://www.breastcancerupdate.com/bcu2003/9/sledge.htm#Top

Rachel was dxed with osteopenia at her first DEXA scan. Her oncologist just didn't seem to have much to say about bisphosphonate use, but her ob/gyn made it clear that she was happy to prescribe fosamax (a once a week pill). So, Rachel started that--it has, if I understand it right, more power than clodronate.

But in the meantime, for a number of reasons, Rachel is considering switching oncs, and one new possible doctor has suggested that instead of fosamax he'd be willing to give her a once yearly infusion of Zometa (zoledronic acid): this is a newer generation, much more powerful agent and there have been a few studies suggesting that one 4 mg. dose a year does as much good as a year of weekly pills... The first study on Zometa was done by Gnant. There have been more since...

Hope this doesn't confuse things more.

Best,
Jeff

[StephN]

As a matter of course, my med onc put me on Fosamax, as he knew I would have serious bone loss due the drugs I would be taking - this was for the adjuvent.
I was still taking it when mets appeared and kept on until reaching NED. Then I began Zometa every three weeks with my Herceptin. A year ago we cut Zometa to 6 weeks. And there I stay.
Have not had a full bone scan since a year ago Sept. - all was well and bones showed good density. First Dexa after my initial chemos showed that I was at 79% of normal for my age group (than 51).

[*_KathySC_*]

The study I read centered around clodronate, a bisphosphonate that is not available as of yet here in the usa but will be shortly. I am not sure that all the bisphosphonate type drugs would work the same.
Kathy

[*_Barbara_*]

Michele:

I found the article at:

http://www.docguide.com. I don't have the full citation. But it was in the Recent News - Breast cancer.