considering Zometa to prevent metastasis

I am age 60 and 10 months ago was diagnosed with IDC, tumor grade 2, size 1.2 cm in one breast only. With a family history of breast cancer, I opted for bilateral mastectomies with SN Biop. which were negative, and other breast was without disease. The tumor is ER pos, Pr neg. Her2/neu negative and was also evaluated by Oncotype DX. The recurrence score was 27 so I've completed 4 cycles of Taxotere and Cytoxan. I have been on Arimidex for 3 months. What might be my chances of a cure vs. metastasis? Should I consider Zometa and does it only help prevent bone metastasis or other mets as well?

Thanks very much for your thoughts.

[femtazzie]

Hi,  

I did not think that Zometa would prevent metastasis in the bones.  I am currently on Zometa monthly to build the bones up that already have mets in them.  

You should check with your doctor and ask him about this.  None of the other women I know that are stage 4 with mets elsewhere in their body - not bone- have ever taken Zometa and some of them have been dealing with the disease for 4-5 years or more as stage 4.

Good luck  

[ezap]

Hi,

How do you find Zometa? side effects?  My mother has bone mets to the sternum and has not begun a course of treatment yet. From what i have read it sounds like a good optiton for her and I'm curious to hear persnal experience.

best,

[Kemal]

The Zometa has help my wifes bone pain.  The chemotherapy gives her bone pain but not the same feeling as before she began the Zometa.  The Zometa prevents cancer from attacking the bones and repairs damage.  I do not think any drugs prevent reoccurance of cancer.  We can only delay the cancer as long as medically possible with the drugs available now.

Good Luck.

[Kemal]

I just found this...

http://www.ascocancerfoundation.org/

Bone Loss Drug Reduces Early-Stage Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk

The study: Researchers looked at whether zoledronic acid (Zometa) lowers the risk of breast cancer recurrence (cancer that comes back after treatment) for premenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer. Zoledronic acid is a drug called a bisphosphonate that is used to reduce bone loss caused by cancer treatment. The women were treated with surgery, ovarian suppression (drugs that stop the production of hormones by the ovaries), and hormone therapy. Hormone therapy is the used to treat breast cancer that is hormone-receptor positive (uses estrogen or progesterone to grow) and includes tamoxifen (Nolvadex) and anastrozole (Arimidex),.

In this study, 1,803 women who were undergoing drug-induced ovarian suppression were divided into four treatment groups: tamoxifen only, anastrozole only, tamoxifen and zoledronic acid, or anastrozole and zoledronic acid. Tamoxifen is the standard treatment for premenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive tumors. Anastrozole is only approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive tumors. However, premenopausal women in this study were able to take this drug while receiving ovarian suppression.

The results: After approximately five years, treatment with zoledronic acid combined with hormone therapy reduced a woman’s risk of recurrence by 35%, compared with women who received hormone therapy alone. There was no difference in the reduction of the risk of recurrence between the tamoxifen and anastrozole. Women in this study had no unexpected side effects, and the overall occurrence of side effects was low.

What this means for patients

“It’s very exciting to find that in addition to preventing bone loss in women receiving hormone therapy for breast cancer, zoledronic acid can also reduce the likelihood that breast cancer will return in some women,” said lead author Michael Gnant, MD, Professor of Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna and President of the Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group. “Future research will focus on developing the appropriate treatment schedule and determining which women will benefit the most from this treatment.”

[dblwhammy]

Thank you for the reference material from the ASCO. That's the study in which I was interested. I hope your wife is doing better with the Zometa and chemo. There are several new meds and studies advancing treatments for breast cancer and eventually prevention and cure and staying on top of it all is a challenge.

[Kemal]

Keep us in mind if you hear anything new.  My wife is stage 4 with metastasis to the liver and bones.  She is on Taxol and Gemzar and has treatment 3 hours on two consecutive Fridays then on Friday off.  Oral chemo was not effective so she had to hit the big guns so to speak.

I don't know how long the Taxol will be effective but it is working to some extent now.  She also needs to have reconstructive surgery on one breast to match her singe mesectamy.

New medicine is the key for the future.

Thanks.

[femtazzie]

You were asking how the Zometa affected you.  Well most people only have a side effectonce - the first time and then you get some flu like symptons.  They only last a day or so and then you never have them again.

For me, I am unusual - I get the side effects every month but they only last about 4-5 hours.  Not enough to inconvenience me much.  

Tell your mother to drink a lot of water.  It helps relieve any possible side effects according to the nurses in my Onc's office.

Good luck

[youmeetus]

Hi my mum had a Breast cancer relapse to bones,is on Zometa since october 2007, she has multiple bone mets. the disease has spread extensively since then DESPITE ON MONTHLY ZOMETA, all hormonal therapies -tamoxifen, aromasin, faslodex, and femara, have failed to control the disease. although she hasn't experienced any drug reaction till date.

[maybebaby29]

My mom is on Zometa for 4 years and she loves it.