Zometa news out of San Antonio....

Thank you, Yorkiemom!

My gut tells me the same thing! I am going to call for an appointment ASAp:) 

LindaLou,

I agree with you 100%. The old onc and this new one did not include me in any decisions about my treatment. I feel like if these people were in our shoes, they would want to do everything possible to not have a recurrence!! By the way, te new onc didnt even know my prognosis when she was turning me down!!

@heathermcd

Go for what you can get. You are so young and frankly, it's better to have some health issues many years in the future than to die of cancer now. So, me too, I am trying to get everything available. Long-term side effects are of no importance to me. 

I go for my next Zometa infusion on the 12th.  This is number five!  

As for Metformin - is anyone taking it?  I've asked my onc about it and he told me that it is still in the trial stage. 

Antonia,  There were conflicting reports out of the 2011 San Antonio conference concerning Zometa   results for both disease free survival and osteonecrosis.  If you do decide to pursue treatment with Zometa, check with your dentist first to see if you have increased risk for oseonecrosis due to dental disease.

 I saw my MO today and she decided to put me on Fosomax instead of Zometa.  She insisted that I will have the same benefit with fewer side effects.  I am a bit worried, but she was firm in her decision and after all she is a involved in research and specializes in stage III and IV BC.

Were any studies done with Fosimax and BC?

SAw my MO yesterday and asked about the Zometa.  He said that the studies are so knew and that it has not been approved for using it to slow down recurrance and that because of that most insurance companies will not approve it.  He said escpecially since I did not do chemo he really doubted that they would approve it.  He did however say that there are studies that have proven Reclast works to lower recurrance rates and is approved for using it in that way so insurance companies are more likely to approve it.  If my insurance company approves it he is taking me off Fosomax and putting me on Recast infusion every three months when I see him.

Okay, so I just looked it up and it says that zometa and reclast both contain the same active ingredient, zoledronic acid.  Dosing is different, but it sounds like they are basically the same.  The inactive ingredients must be what makes them different.  I wonder what difference that makes.

Weety I was under the impresion they were very similar I guess it is just what it has been approved for. 

Yorkiemon my insurance has been good about things but I guess my Dr feels more comfortable asking for the reclast maybe I'll change to Zometa down the line.

I started on eligard & femera in August '11' had my first zometa infusion in October. I got such a bad reaction. Severe headache, flu like symptoms temp above 103*. Never told my MO was going to discuss with him at my appt in February. Was seriously thinking of asking to stop it but now after all I have read here I want to stay on it. I am afraid of getting I'll again, has anyone else had that reaction to the infusion?

I am on the third arm of another bisphosphonate trial which ends in April. My research nurse has already indicated  that as with these San Antonio results, she doesn't think this arm will prove to help women who are not fully five years postmenopausal. Because I have been part of this trial for almost three years, I will not drop out based on San Antonio, but what really frustrates me is this "40" flag that everyone seems to like waving around. I am 51 and still menstruating despite chemo and a brief run on Tamox, which I went off due to the outrageous things it was doing to my uterine lining (Yes, I know Tamox doesn't put you into menopause).Why is 40 a magic number? I hate that they cubbyhole us like this. There are a whole lot of women on this site who are in the same position I am. Why don't they do a trial focusing on women in their 40's and 50's who regained menstrual function despite AC/T? I find this worrisome and cannot believe that it isn't of interest to someone in the research field. Obviously, we are still producing estrogen. Is there a correlation between menstruation and reccurence for women in their 40's and 50's? I feel there has to be.

Susieq58- am I right to assume you had similar SE & they got better after each dose?



I was premenopausal before my BC dx & started on eligard & femera. Does that mean it won't benefit me because I wasnt menopausal at dx? I'm a bit confused now

Racy, you aren't considered post-menopausal until an entire year has passed without a period. I thought I was, too, but my period returned ten months after chemo ended!

Comingtoterms-I hearing the 40 number also. It seems that Zometa is out of the question for me.  As is ovarian suppression with zolodex or lupron in addition to Zometa. I'm being told I'm too close to menopause & that I will & probably have gone thru menopause in the 3 months I've been taking the Tamox..huh? I am 53 & was having regular periods prior to Tamox. My sister is 56 & still not menopausal. I've been told by 2 MOs that ovarian suppression & zometa would be appropriate for me if I was "40". Just doesn't seem like I can make this happen.

Good for you, Racy!!! Wahoo!! That puts you in a whole different place!! Coraleliz, my Onc was not at all happy about what began as a "Tamox holiday" turning into: "I don't want to take anything anymore." The last time I was in to see my Research Nurse for the trial, my Onc was "tragically" out of town!!! All the nurses told me I just got lucky because he is not happy w my decision to stop Tamox. I am so with you on this! Isn't "late menopause" a risk factor? Just on a side note: right before I got my first period post chemopause, they did bloodwork which indicated I was through menopause! HaHa! In fact, as the time passes, my periods are coming closer together!! I was definitely not even peri-menopausal when dx at the age of 48. I had a pelvic sonogram last month and there was a follicle on my ovary. Hello, still ovulating!!! None of this "changes" because you take Tamoxifen. I never thought it was doing what it was supposed to do: all I experienced was a tremendous increase in the thickness of my utering lining, intensely heavy periods, cysts, fibroids, etc. I also never had a hot flash or a night sweat, even during AC/T chemo. What do they say when you ask why it would be an option if you were 40? Isn't ovarian function more important than age? Wow!