Prevention for Triple Negs

Lisa, it would only  make sense to me that someone should be studying the benefits of BP therapy on HR negative patients in Stages I, II and III also, since it is almost becoming standard of care to give BP to all HR+ patients since the benefits are much more far reaching then just benefits to the bones because of AI treatment.

I am on 4 mg. Zometa every six months, and if I were triple negative, I think I would be bugging my onc to put me on this treatment.

I beileve the original studies were to find out how soon to start the BP treatment on people taking AI's and it was an unsuspected finding that the BP treatment also lowered rate of recurrence.

I think there has been very little study on BPs and TNs because most of these studies were on women on AIs or Tamoxifen.  I'm not an expert, but I suspect Zometa would be a good benefit for TNs.  So, ladies, lets all hit up on our Oncs and researchers on this!

On a related note:  I'm also on Zometa every six months and I'm "marginally" ER/PR positive.  I'm in the US, and the only reason why I was able to get BP therapy is because I have osteopenia and am on an AI.

Thanks for the research post.

defeatbc

I'm TN and had stage 1, grade 3 breast cancer, with no node involvement, with a history of mother and grandmother dying of breast cancer which spread to the bone, and my medical oncologist at UCSF recommended zometa for six months. he said my chances of recurrence are already at less than 5% because i had a bilateral mast, chemo (AC/T) and a having 35 tomotherapy radiation treatments, so i decided against zometa because of the risk of osteonecrosis, albeit a low risk. i'm happy with a less than 5% chance of recurrence, although i think if i were younger, i might consider taking the zometa.

to address the specific question about Zometa for TN, here is Susan Love's analysis:

http://www.dslrf.org/breastcancer/content.asp?CATID=0&L2=6&L3=1&L4=1&PID=&sid=213&cid=1443 

here is a great site for updates on TN research:

http://www.hormonenegative.blogspot.com/ 

and of course the triple negative foundation website, tncbfoundation.org

newalex: this is a link to osteonecrosis:

http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Osteonecrosis/default.asp 

what specifically concerns me is osteonecrosis of the jaw. google it to see photos. it's really awful, and not curable. but the risk is very low! i don't want to alarm you! it mostly occurs in people who have dental problems and extractions. i don't have any dental problems, but i just don't want any more stuff in my body and i don't want to risk osteonecrosis.

my mother and grandmother were diagnosed in their mid-sixties and died two years after diagnosis and chemo when the breast cancer spread to the bone.

i will be getting a gene test, yes.

my med onc at UCSF told me my risk is less than 5%, based on adjuvant online - taking into account bilateral mastectomy, chemo, 35 tomotherapy radiation treatments.  but in reality, i think of recurrence as a 0% or 100% chance. i think all these low numbers are reassuring, but i don't think anyone really knows.