Early stage breast cancer put on bisphosphonate (Zometa)
Did your oncologist recommend Zometa infusions? What was the reason and what is your infusion schedule and dosage? Any bad side effects?
I’m half a year into starting AI and can’t decide whether or not to go on bisphosphonates per doctor’s recommendation that it has potential to decrease bone mets by 2.2% and mortality by 3.3%. And that those numbers are significant. How does one apply those numbers to real life?
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I have been doing reclast I.v. this will be my 3rd yr. I am probably going to be put on tamoxifen for 5 years just 5 mg so my oncology coordinator told me today they will do the reclast every 6 months right now I do it once a year. Ni issues with it
I was found to have an invasive lobular carcinoma in left breast last August. Had mastectomy to remove large tumor and 29 lymph nodes. Scan following was clear of cancer. I am post menopausal at 86 years old, but quite active and healthy. Over the past decade I have been diagnosed with osteopenia and have taken raloxifene to prevent further deterioration. It worked. Now with my post-mastectomy prescription of letrozole inhibiting what estrazone was still in there protecting bones and no more raloxifene allowed, doctor is giving me Zometa infusions every 6 months to stave off any further bone loss. I also have completed 29 radiation treatments. I could not tolerate pill Verzenio, the third treatment recommended. No chemo. Doc will find something else for that, I guess. Seems to be a good tested plan to me. So my thinking is yes, for goodness sake, if you are on estrogen blockers of any kind, get the infusions. Osteoporosis is nothing to shrug off! Best wishes to all of us, doing the best we can with our new little misbehaving cancer cells!!
Don't know about Zometa, but I am on Prolia (2 yearly injections) for osteoporosis. I have been for 7 years. I recently had a consult with Mayo Endocrinologist for advice on whether I should continue with Prolia or change to a different drug. I have lung cancer and know that some osteoporosis drugs were used in bone cancer. The Mayo specialist told me they usually see women with breast cancer, and they have them on Prolia for 12 years now because of its anti-bone tumor properties. He advised me to continue on Prolia for another 5 years before changing drugs. I am glad I asked the question!
I’ll definitely be asking my doc about Prolia! Thank you.
My first osteoporosis medication was Fosamax. After 5 years or so I stopped also because I was to do some dental work and was concerned about the risk for jaw necrosis. My doctor put me on Evista (raloxifene) which I continued for many years, then switched to Prolia injections. The local place that did my recent bone density test suggested I consider switching to Fosamax. My Primary Care doctor advised me to see an Endocrinologist since he did not have the expertise for such a decision. As a person with cancer, always wondering about metastasis, I was very pleased to learn from Mayo Endocrinologist about "extra" benefit of Prolia.
I was on Prolia for 8 years but my endocrinologist changed it to Reclast (once yearly infusion ) a lot of my BC friends were put on Zometa instead. It seems weird that the 2 infusions of Reclast, 2 months later, I have had a recurrence of my TNBC. Surgery on 3/8/24 with chemo & proton therapy to follow 🙏🏼
One has to consult with expert specialist in the matter. The goal is to select the best solution for the person considering their complete clinical picture. That is what the expert is supposed to do.
In my case I do not have breast cancer but lung cancer and was already on Prolia, so Endocrinologist had me continue.
Just googling I find "Zoledronic acid (Zometa) is a type of drug known as a bisphosphonate . You might have zoledronic acid to: prevent problems with the bones such as breaks in the bones (fractures) in myeloma and cancers that have spread to the bone (advanced cancers) lower high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcaemia) which can happen in secondary bone cancer"
Hi
I have been on zoledronic acid for osteopenia compression fracture since 2022 this year will be my third I now am dealing with breast cancer and my oncology coordinator told me once I start tamoxifen I will have to do my infusions of zoledronic acid every 6 months
I pray that my endocrinologist is giving me the right treatment 🙏🏼
Thanks for sharing! My breast cancer drug which cancels any estrogen put me deep into osteoporosis and I'm starting with oral Fosamax, once weekly. I am very nervous about side effects and also wonder that while side effects even more rough on Reclast IV perhaps Reclast would have been wiser choice. How did you feel after Reclast? side effects? xo