Osteoporosis Bone Cancer Drugs Slow

A recent study conducted by British researchers have found that a drug commonly used to prevent bone thinning could give hope to cancer patients survive for longer

Patients with osteoporosis or brittle bones, by physicians, are often given drugs to strengthen bones and slow bone thinning. This drug was also given to cancer patients who experience symptoms such as multiple myeloma bone thinning in which the cells slowly destroy the bone marrow, causing bone fragility.

Through a comprehensive study, the researchers found that a drug called zoledronic acid can increase the life expectancy of cancer patients who experience bone thinning.

Professor Gareth Morgan of the Institute of Cancer Research in London and Professor Walter Gregory and Anthony Child of Research Unit and Clinical Trials at the University of Leeds comparing zoledronic acid with similar drug that is, clodronic acid, in 2,000 patients. It was found that zoledronic acid was able to reduce the risk of death by 16 percent on average compared with clodronic acid.

“Increased life expectancy calculated with zoledronic acid significantly after the analysis associated with a reduced risk of bone thinning. This data could add clinical evidence to support that zoledronic acid can be zatantikanker in patients with newly diagnosed cancer,” the researchers said as quoted by The Telegraph .

“Although we have not definitively identify the mechanisms of drug action, this remains a preliminary step zoledronic acid compared with clodronic acid and found that zoledronic acid can help to overcome multiple myeloma,” they added.

These findings have been published in medical journal The Lancet in December 2010 edition and presented at a meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Orlando, Florida.

Posted in: Health

Related Articles