Zometa for TN's?

Hi Lisa,

There's been some discussion about Zometa and Bisphosphonates in general.  Here's a link to a thread on the topic:

http://forum.tnbcfoundation.org/bisphosphonates-clinical-trial-any-info_topic4591.html?KW=bisphosphonates

http://forum.tnbcfoundation.org/zometa_topic5134_page1.html

http://forum.tnbcfoundation.org/bisphosphonates-clinical-trial_topic5110_page1.html?KW=bisphosphonates

I'm in a clinical trial but was assigned to the Clodronate arm. 

Donna





Edited by 123Donna - Apr 30 2010 at 12:48am

Lisa, it's not true that 'it can't hurt'.  Bisphosphonates are powerful drugs that carry risks, among them ONJ (osteonecrosis of the jaw) and weakening of the bone.   Read up on the links Donna gave you so that you can make an informed choice.   Also, the studies of clodronate (same drug class) from europe that followed women for 10 years found that bisphosphonates delay met disease but do not really prevent it, as at 10 years out the control and treated arms converged.   I guess what I'm trying to say is that given that you are now over 3 years out from your diagnosis, and therefore now at much lower risk for ever having a recurrence, you'll want to think harder about risks vs benefits.   The calculus is different for a woman in your position than it is for someone still in the 'window' of highest risk of recurrence.   Still, I agree that if you do something like a single zometa infusion per year for maybe two years, THAT shouldn't hurt (though there are no guarantees) and might help.   To go for the intensive monthly or even every two months infusion schedule would I think be a mistake given your current low risk status and the higher risk of unwanted side effects from Zometa if you have a lot of it.    ONJ is a nightmare, and there have been reports of femurs breaking from the drug, also horrible.

Good luck deciding,
Denise