[robind]

I also researched the jaw concern...that was actually a huge issue for me. The information I assertained...there is a SLIGHT chance of jaw degeneration. One professional I spoke with told me that in her years of practicing and the use of Zometa, she had only seen one case out of hundreds using Zometa. She felt that the benefit of using Zometa far outweighed the risk of any jaw problem. I also contacted my dentist who researched this for me...he is most conservative. He agreed, taking Zometa has such a small risk of any jaw necrosis that if it were his wife or daughter he would definitely recommend they take Zometa and also felt the benefit was worth the small slight risk. My oncologist at Sloan Kettering has experience giving Zometa and the research she discussed said the other benefits are compelling and I do feel strongly that she wouldn't encourage her patients to take this drug if she and her collegues all didn't feel it was safe.
A friend through a friend, stage 1V breast cancer had holes in her bones from metatasis. Although her cancer has come back, she had tests that revealed that she no longer has those holes and her bones are actually great. They clearly attribute that to her having been on Zometa, I think she was receiving every 3 months.
I hope this has been helpful in some way. I have my second Zometa treatment in a few weeks and will probably be due for a dexa scan in a few months. I am hoping that my osteopenia and slight osteoporosis has improved even if slightly because all the years that I was taking Fosamax and then Boniva...did virtually nothing.
Good luck. Robind