Anybody on Xgeva and not stage IV?

muska
muska Member Posts: 1,195
edited May 2016 in Stage III Breast Cancer

I have osteopenia in the spine and my MO thinks it is time to start a bisphosphonate. She says insurance might not cover Xgeva. I am wondering whether anybody who is not stage IV takes it and what your impressions are?

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  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 2,889
    edited May 2016

    Hi, Muska. My onc gives me Prolia, which is the same drug as Xgeva, also known as denosumab. Prolia is the name a doctor would use to prescribe for osteopenia (NOT Stage IV); Xgeva is prescribed for bone mets. Weird, huh?

    There's considerable research that shows denosumab helps prevent bone mets, so it's a win-win for us. It helps build back bones that are leached from the AIs we take, and helps keep those nasty BC cells from settling in a bone somewhere.

    I get Prolia every six months. My last shot was in March, and it was truly no big deal. I'd had an infusion of Zometa last fall, and it was a bit miserable--bone pain, fever, achy. The Prolia was much easier.

    Good luck, and please PM me if I can be of any further help.

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  • ash123
    ash123 Member Posts: 99
    edited May 2016

    Hi Muska

    I also had my first shot of prolia in March. Will get the second one in August. I too had bone pain esp long bones of arms and hands but I am not very sure that it was from Prolix or AIs. Switched from Letrozole to Aromasin, got little better though. Now they are almost gone. Good Luck.


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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited May 2016
    Thank you for the info, it is helpful.
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