New data suggests that bisphosphonates, which are routinely given to women with postmenopausal breast cancer, may play a role in reducing recurrent breast cancer as well.
Theresa Guise, M.D., professor of medicine and Jerry W. and Peg S. Throgmartin professor of oncology in the Division of Endocrinology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, will moderate a press conference on this new data at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
The following abstracts will be presented at this press conference:
4083. The Effect of Zoledronic Acid on Aromatase Inhibitor-Associated Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women with Early Breast Cancer Receiving Adjuvant Letrozole: The Z-FAST Study 5-Year Final Follow-Up
Zoledronic acid is both safe and effective in preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women with breast cancer who are treated with aromatase inhibitors, according to data presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
"Women who take aromatase inhibitors need some sort of bone protection, and this five-year data show that zoledronic acid is a viable option," said Adam Brufsky, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine, associate chief of hematolgy-oncology, and associate director for clinical investigation, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.
Brufsky estimates that between 20,000 to 30,000 women a year will benefit from this therapy and that number is growing. Anastrozole, currently sold as Arimidex by AstraZeneca, is scheduled to go off patent within the next few years.
"Women who are on Medicare tend to go with tamoxifen because the cost of anastrozole puts them squarely in the donut hole of Medicare Part D, but once the cost barrier is removed there will likely be a mass switch to the aromatase inhibitor, which will necessitate the need for bone protection," said Brufsky.
