14th January 2008
There is an important new study on an issue important to many prostate cancer patients: the relationship of oral and intravenous bisphosphonate drugs and an infrequent but serious side effect known as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). :( Common bisphosphonate drugs and the usual method of administration are Fosamax (oral), Boniva (oral), Actonel (oral), Aredia (IV), and Zometa (IV).
While many of us prostate cancer patients are surprised to learn that we have significantly decreased bone density compared to other men our age :confused:, treatment with drugs that block testosterone (such as Lupron, Zoladex, Viadur, Trelstar, Eligard) often makes the problem substantially worse as testosterone is important in men for preserving bone density. (It takes a Bone Mineral Density (BMD) scan to diagnose loss of bone density - osteopenia (me) - a lesser degree of loss, or osteopenia. The BMD scan is not the same thing as the bone scan used to detect the spread of cancer.) Researchers believe the connection between the lower bone density and prostate cancer is a shortage of vitamin D that affects both.
The bisphosphonate drugs to me are wonder drugs because they fairly effectively counter loss of bone density, even while we are on hormonal blockade. :angel: Without these drugs, those of us who need hormonal blockade to control our prostate cancer would run a high risk of breaking our bones and developing osteoporosis with its humped over posture. With them, we can maintain a fairly healthy level of bone density. :) I was diagnosed with osteopenia in 2000 about ten months after starting Lupron as hormonal blockade. I have had a BMD nearly every year that checks density in four hip bones and four spinal bones (lumbar vertebra 1 through 4), and one year two spinal bones were in the osteoporosis range, one deeply into that range (T = -3.6) :(. Last fall every bone had improved to the healthy range except the one that had been -3.6, and that bone had improved to the middle of the osteopenia range, so you can see what the bisphosphonate drugs have meant to me. :D My bone density was actually greater on average in the hip and spine than for men my age without a diagnosis of decreased bone density. The two bisphosphonate drugs I have used are Fosamax, until October 2006, and Boniva since then and through the present.
However, in 2003 it was discovered that some osteoporosis and cancer patients on these drugs were experiencing ONJ. Their jaw bones were effectively disintegrating. :confused: The condition was fairly rare, and it seemed to be mostly associated dental surgery after IV and not oral bisphosphonate use, but a lot of us were scared. Many patients were afraid to use bisphosphonate drugs. :(
The new study appeared in the January 2008 edition of the Journal of the American Dental Association, with Dr. Zavras, from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston, as the senior author. Based on a study of medical claims by over 714,000 osteoporosis and cancer patients, the researchers concluded that oral bisphosphonate drugs actually reduce the risk of ONJ :) but that IV bisphosphonate drugs increase the risk substantially. You can pull up an abstract of the study by going to [url]www.pubmed.gov[/url] and searching for " zavras a [au] AND 2008 [dp] AND osteonecrosis ".
Personally, I would not hesitate to use one of the stronger IV drugs if I needed it, particularly since one of the doctors whose advice I follow has never seen an ONJ problem even with Zometa, by far the strongest bisphosphonate drug, based on limiting dosing to not more frequently than every three months.
While the researchers called for confirming research, it is reassuring to know that the oral bisphosphonates are apparently free of the ONJ problem.:)
Jim
While many of us prostate cancer patients are surprised to learn that we have significantly decreased bone density compared to other men our age :confused:, treatment with drugs that block testosterone (such as Lupron, Zoladex, Viadur, Trelstar, Eligard) often makes the problem substantially worse as testosterone is important in men for preserving bone density. (It takes a Bone Mineral Density (BMD) scan to diagnose loss of bone density - osteopenia (me) - a lesser degree of loss, or osteopenia. The BMD scan is not the same thing as the bone scan used to detect the spread of cancer.) Researchers believe the connection between the lower bone density and prostate cancer is a shortage of vitamin D that affects both.
The bisphosphonate drugs to me are wonder drugs because they fairly effectively counter loss of bone density, even while we are on hormonal blockade. :angel: Without these drugs, those of us who need hormonal blockade to control our prostate cancer would run a high risk of breaking our bones and developing osteoporosis with its humped over posture. With them, we can maintain a fairly healthy level of bone density. :) I was diagnosed with osteopenia in 2000 about ten months after starting Lupron as hormonal blockade. I have had a BMD nearly every year that checks density in four hip bones and four spinal bones (lumbar vertebra 1 through 4), and one year two spinal bones were in the osteoporosis range, one deeply into that range (T = -3.6) :(. Last fall every bone had improved to the healthy range except the one that had been -3.6, and that bone had improved to the middle of the osteopenia range, so you can see what the bisphosphonate drugs have meant to me. :D My bone density was actually greater on average in the hip and spine than for men my age without a diagnosis of decreased bone density. The two bisphosphonate drugs I have used are Fosamax, until October 2006, and Boniva since then and through the present.
However, in 2003 it was discovered that some osteoporosis and cancer patients on these drugs were experiencing ONJ. Their jaw bones were effectively disintegrating. :confused: The condition was fairly rare, and it seemed to be mostly associated dental surgery after IV and not oral bisphosphonate use, but a lot of us were scared. Many patients were afraid to use bisphosphonate drugs. :(
The new study appeared in the January 2008 edition of the Journal of the American Dental Association, with Dr. Zavras, from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston, as the senior author. Based on a study of medical claims by over 714,000 osteoporosis and cancer patients, the researchers concluded that oral bisphosphonate drugs actually reduce the risk of ONJ :) but that IV bisphosphonate drugs increase the risk substantially. You can pull up an abstract of the study by going to [url]www.pubmed.gov[/url] and searching for " zavras a [au] AND 2008 [dp] AND osteonecrosis ".
Personally, I would not hesitate to use one of the stronger IV drugs if I needed it, particularly since one of the doctors whose advice I follow has never seen an ONJ problem even with Zometa, by far the strongest bisphosphonate drug, based on limiting dosing to not more frequently than every three months.
While the researchers called for confirming research, it is reassuring to know that the oral bisphosphonates are apparently free of the ONJ problem.:)
Jim