Zometa

FYI, My husband pushed on the insurance company, and it turned out that (we think) the cancer center did not use the right "codes" when they initially tried to pre-approve it. I am approved, as my bone scan showed ostopenia.

I will get the Zometa infustion tomorrow! 

Here are the codes that were approved, in case anybody has the same issues:

Reclast: 733.01 Osteopenia J3488

Zometa 733.90 Osteopenia Jcode: J3487

Spring

My next appt with my onc is May 26th.  I will definelty bring up the Zometa issue.  He will probably shrug it off along with all of the other questions I've asked him.  But I will push the issue on this one.

All,

I had my Zometa infustion last Friday, and it took 30 minutes. For Osteopenia, you get it once every 6 months. For bone mets, you apparently get it once a month (same amount). But, I figure 2x a year is better than 0x a year!

I had absolutely no SE's from the infusion - it was a breeze. Just sayin'! 

Spring.

My insurance is United Healthcare and my nurse practitioner  informed me that they will not cover Zometa because I only have ostopenia. If anybody has any luck convincing their insurance companies, I would like to know how to !!! I am currently taking Boniva but I definitely want to take Zometa to prevent bone mets.

I read all the promising medical reports on zometa four years ago.....finally got my oncologist to give it to me two years ago under the guise of having osteoporosis.  He was never a fan due to the side effects and each time I came to get it he would try to talk me out of it.  He never really got the idea that I was taking it to keep mets away.  Last week he tried to get me off it again and I told him "what about all the great reports on it lately"....he said show them to me.  I went home and printed gobs of medical reports and put a stack on his desk.  That evening after reviewing and discussing with the board of other oncologists he called and said....come on in and get it....

I hope to stay on it for one more year which I hope is really all I need to keep the beast away.  I have a really great oncologist but I think they are so busy seeing patients that they are not as current as us group of ladies.  They wait for the one meeting a year to get a slice of what is happening.

We just need to continue to be our own advocates. 

Jacqueline

Just saw my Onc today and she won't give it to me. They won't prescribe it at the Hospital where I am being treated. She said she has had other patients ask for it, and the Breast Cancer Oncs have discussed it, but at this time they don't think it is ready to be used. She said that the study everyone refers to (with 35% reduction in Mets) didn't single out Zometa as the cause of the reduction in reoccurrence, the study looked at Stage 1 and 2 women only, with no nodal involvment, and no one got Chemo.

So, that is my situation at the moment. She is off to a conference in two weeks, and she will let me know if there are any developments.

So, I am a bit bummed, but I do trust her decisions, so I will have to go with it at the moment.

I spoke with my onc about Zometa and two of them agreed that the possible benefit did not outweigh the possible harm.  They explained the possibility of jaw bone loss and so I didn't pursue it much further.  I wonder how far sometimes to push things, I don't want regrets, but I feel great now and am hesitant to pursue something that may or may not be the answer.  Sometimes I wish there were more clear cut answers...I still wonder about an ooph/hysterectomy and plan on a bilateral masectomy when I have reconstruction, but I have put that off for now.  I keep getting answers like "it hasn't been shown statistically to change the outcome" or "the risks don't outweigh the benefit".  Tough to argue.

Jacqueline, Thanks for the info. I need to anyway for my bones. I mean, they were going to need to put me on Fosomax or Boneva, I figured, may as well get the Zometa, given "infusions" are no longer a big deal.

Spring...

Hey girls. It is MONTHS since I have been anywhere except my own thread (Chemo May 08). I just swung by for a quick scan and I saw Zometa! My onc (the femara guru of the southern hemisphere) said that if it was his wife, he would buy it. Here in Australia we can opt for it but at our own cost, which is $450 X 3 (once every 6 months and that's it.) I have just finished getting my mouth in order so I can have it. I've had so much preventative dental work it's crazy..but it beats cancer-related work I had to make sure that there would be no extractions required over the next couple of years..to avoid the jawbone death biz. Thankfully I can get the work done on the public health here because: I'm over 50, I have cancer and I am required to take a drug (femara) which causes osteoporosis. Great, isn't it? Grrrrrrr. XXX

Thank you Timothy, I wonder where you have gotten your info so that I may go in prepared to my onco in a couple of weeks.  any links or articles would be greatly appreciated.  She is a great doc but I feel I need to be prepared.,  Thank you again!

Rachel

Thanks KerryMac.  Honestly I don't mind using it with chemo, but I am wary about it replacing chemo.  Too new for me!  I will check out the board!

Rachel

Kerry - when are you receiving your first infusion of Zometa?  My onc won't budge on the topic.  How did you convince yours?

You can see my dx at the bottom of my post.   I will get Zometa today, for osteopenia.   Pre chemo and BC I took Evista daily and Actonel once a week.   My DEXA scans have stayed the same over the past 10 years - latest one was in May 2009.    When I began chemo in June 2008,  I stopped all medications as I did not want to complicate the chemo tx and onco agreed.   

As an aside, if you take Evista or Actonel or the other similar pills, it is highly recommended to stop at least a month before an invasive procedure, such as surgery or root canal.   And stay off it for a month after.   Onco says the zometa, once a year, eliminates that problem should I need further surgery.  

Just putting in my 2 cents worth.  I am 63 years old - mom is 96, sis is 57.  Mom and sis both have osteoporosis - I have osteopenia.       Nancy 

km40 - please do not be offended by my response, but if you are concerned and really want to start Zometa SOON - - I don't see why you onc is literally putting you off unitl Jan - next year.  It certainly doesn't take that long to set up an infusion appointment.  I'm certainly older than you and am now quite direct about getting my questions answered and not being put off by health care professionals.  Don't be afraid to be assertive regarding your health.