Ulli about Clodronate

nancys
nancys Member Posts: 323
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hello Ulli, I had never heard about Clodronate, so I looked it up on Google. Clodronate seems to be used to protect from bone mets. I read in the New England Journal of Medicine that this is a drug widely used in Europe for 15 years. There is no FDA approval for it here in the US. This was an interesting article and told of a bone marrow test that would find cancer cells and proved 75% of women with BC would have their cancer spread to bone. That was not very encouraging to read and I hope the article's writer is incorrect.
I have been on Tamoxifen for over 2 years now and so far so good. I have no new information on pricing the drugs but want to thank you for drawing attention to another therapy that I will discuss with my Oncologist. Welcome to the CSN. Hugs, Nancy

Comments

  • Habemaul
    Habemaul Member Posts: 5
    #2
    Hello Nancy, I just want to let you know my state of information: There are studies on clodronate by Diel (the one I have handy right how is "Reduction in new metastases in Breast Cancer with adjuvant clodronate treatment", The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol 339, but there is also a newer one, but I can't find the copy in my mess here right now)which seem to suggest that it is beneficial to add such substances to hormone therapie. At least there seem to be no serious advers effects, and it helps to keep the bones strong. There are also newer drugs of the same family which are more potent, but which have so fare not been studied to the same extend as clodronate.

    The other thing wich is disturbing me right now is the ongoing ATAC study ("Anastrazol alone or in combination with tamoxifen ..", The Lancet, Vol 359, June 22, 2002) which suggests that Arimidex is significantly better than Tamoxifen with respect to recidives and mets, but with some adverse effects to the bones.

    I will also try to figure out if I can do better than with Tamoxifen (which I had for one year now).

    Maybe you could let me know what your oncologist thinks? Good luck, Hugs, Ulli
  • Habemaul
    Habemaul Member Posts: 5
    #3
    Hello Nancy, I just want to let you know my state of information: There are studies on clodronate by Diel (the one I have handy right how is "Reduction in new metastases in Breast Cancer with adjuvant clodronate treatment", The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol 339, but there is also a newer one, but I can't find the copy in my mess here right now)which seem to suggest that it is beneficial to add such substances to hormone therapie. At least there seem to be no serious advers effects, and it helps to keep the bones strong. There are also newer drugs of the same family which are more potent, but which have so fare not been studied to the same extend as clodronate.

    The other thing wich is disturbing me right now is the ongoing ATAC study ("Anastrazol alone or in combination with tamoxifen ..", The Lancet, Vol 359, June 22, 2002) which suggests that Arimidex is significantly better than Tamoxifen with respect to recidives and mets, but with some adverse effects to the bones.

    I will also try to figure out if I can do better than with Tamoxifen (which I had for one year now).

    Maybe you could let me know what your oncologist thinks? Good luck, Hugs, Ulli
  • nancys
    nancys Member Posts: 323
    #4
    Ulli, I sent you an email on your start up page rather than take up so much room on the forum. Also, some of what I wrote is not about cancer so did not want to use space on the site. Hope to hear back from you. Hugs, Nancys

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