Zometa - zoledronic acid for breast cancer in algmeen shows no significant positive effect only for postmenopausal women with breast cancer, Zometa in addition to chemotherapy 25 percent longer disease-free and overall survival it. A very special result. Article posted September 27, 2011

September 27, 2011: The Source New England Journal of Medicine

Although Zometa - zoledronic acid for all women with breast cancer shows no significant positive effect analysis shows that some women in the age after the transition degeljik Zometa is an effective tool can be in addition to chemotherapy. The difference in disease-free and overall survival was only 25% of that group of women compared to chemotherapy alone. So much is already published on Zometa, see left column that I was limited to a link to the full study report: click here for the full study report in The New England Journal of Medicine . in Medscape, the results of the analysis referred section. Here are the main outcomes or click here for full article .

When zoledronic acid (Zometa) was added to chemotherapy in postmenopausal women with breast cancer, it significantly reduced the risk for relapse and significantly improved overall survival

Source: Medscape

Further analysis of a subgroup from the large AZURE Trial Shows That When zoledronic acid (Zometa) was added to chemotherapy in postmenopausal women with breast cancer, it significantly reduced the risk for relapse and significantly improved overall survival.

This subgroup comprised about a third of the study participant (1101 or 3360 patients), who had well-established menopause, defined as five or more years after menstruation.

In this subgroup, after a follow-up or 5 years, there was a significant Increase in the rates of invasive disease-free survival rate with zoledronic acid, compared with placebo (78.2% vs. 71.0%, hazard ratio [HR], 0.75, P = .02), as well as in rates or overall survival (84.6% vs. 78.7%, HR 0.74, P = .004).

These results were independent of tumor stage, lymph node involvement, and estrogen receptor status, Dr.. Coleman Explained. They Were Also "highly significant - this is not a fluke," he emphasized at a press briefing.

In Addition, there was a "profound" effect on the treatment of extraskeletal recurrence rates in this postmenopausal group, "Dr. Coleman reported." This was an unexpected result, "he noted.

But how is a bone drug affects the spread of cancer to other organs in the body? Dr. Coleman said this was an important question, but at the moment are any answers Theoretical and speculative.

"We Know That breast cancer cells can lie dormant for years," he said. "They live in the bone marrow and are supported by nutrients, and Probably Also by bone marrow stem cells within-the," hey Explained. A drug zoledronic acid Disrupt Such As bone turnover, and "That we think this changes the fuel supplies to thesis breast cancer cells, so That They Are Able to less mature and spread to other parts of the body."

However, it Appears That this effect of zoledronic acid on the bone marrow micro-environment, hamper the breast cancer cells from leaving and spreading around the rest of the body is "only Clinically relevant in the context of low levels of female reproductive hormones That we see After the menopause, "Dr.. Coleman Explained.

This theory, thats the effects on bone are overridden by high estrogen levels or When there are hormones in the body, was put forward as the Previously explanation for the divergent effects of zoledronic acid on breast cancer and postmenopausal women pre-Between. At the San Antonio meeting last year, When The AZURE results were first Presented, Rowan Chlebowski, MD, PhD, medical oncologist at the Harbor-University of California at Los Angeles, and Michael Gnant, MD, professor of surgery at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, Both supported this explanation. Read more >>>>>>