Anyone stops using Zometa after Azure trial

[Nguyen]

Hello,

Has anyone stop using Zometa (or any other biphosphonate) after the Azure trial which shows no improvement in disease free survival?

http://www.oncologystat.com/journals/journal_scans/Breast-Cancer_Adjuvant_Therapy_with_Zoledronic_Acid.html

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1105195#t=abstract

Many thanks,

Nguyen

[tricia keegan]

I've been doing the Azure trial for five years but in the control group so did'nt get the drug.

However my last Dexa showed osteopenia so I now get zometa once yearly and fully expected to be dropped from the trial but my research nurse says no and asks me to continue the trial which is ongoing for ten years I think!

[hutchibk]

As one who receives it in the metastatic setting, it appears to have kept my bones protected from mets. The one bone met that had been identified in the last 3 years immediately stopped growing and stopped showing signs of activity when I started Zometa. It remained well controlled until we decided a year ago to radiate it and kick it to the curb, because we could. It has since been monitored with CTs and has continued healing swiftly and very well, possibly with help from the Zometa, or so my Onc surmises. I have had no further bone mets appear.

To clarify, this study applies to it's use in the adjuvant setting, so that doesn't apply to me, but I wanted to offer my experience so far.

[Rich66]

As posted here:
http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=51574

Benefits may be according to setting.

And there is evolving, admittedly early discussion about frequency/dose
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21936956

[hutchibk]

Very interesting link regarding dose, Rich... I hadn't seen that yet. Dose is something that has been somewhat cavalier and not standard up to this point.

[Rich66]

Dosage/frequency exploration seems to me almost as important as new drugs. Soemetims a drug can be reused with benefit at different dosage/frequency. That has the potential to double the arsenal. Cool, eh?

In any case, mom's been on the weekly Zometa (after siginig waiver) and at minimum her neck met pain has gone away..who knows what the full benefit is. Hopefully a bit less crap on the crapstick.