Breast Cancer Survivor Breakthrough: Zometa®

At the recent Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, Illinois, Zometa® was a topic of discussion when the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group (ABCSG) announced the results of their investigation to demonstrate benefits associated with Zometa ® (zoledronic acid).

The FDA approved Novartis’ Zometa® in 2002 for the use of preventing cancer reoccurrence. To date, three clinical trials comprised of over 3,000 patients support the use of Zometa® for post cancer patients. The pharmacology behind Zometa focuses on inhibiting bone resorption to prevent the re-occurrence of cancer.

This breakthrough is considered monumental for breast cancer survivors in light of cancer re-occurrence statistics. Of all early breast cancer patients, approximately one third will have a reoccurrence and most reoccurrences appear in other organs of the body. This statistic also represents breast cancer as the primary cause of death, involving 60% of the women within a five year period.

Most often, hormone therapy is used to prevent cancer reoccurrences. Breast cancer survivors can now receive Zometa® to reduce the risk of disease-free survival events (which include death from any cause) by 36%, when compared to hormone therapy treatment alone. Zometa® may be utilized to prevent other types of cancer reoccurrences, including: multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, lung cancer and select classes of tumors.

Are you currently going through breast cancer? If so, contact one of our board certified surgeons.