- THURSDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) — Zometa (zoledronic acid)
prevented bone loss at 12 months in premenopausal women undergoing
chemotherapy after they had surgery for early stage breast cancer, a new
study found.

The multicenter, phase III study is the first to evaluate the use of
zoledronic acid in premenopausal breast cancer patients. The 101 women (85
completed the study) were divided into two groups that received either
zoledronic acid or a placebo every three months for one year. All the
women were given oral vitamin D and calcium supplements.

Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured before the start of
chemotherapy and again at six and 12 months. At six and 12 months, bone
density was stable among patients who received zoledronic acid, but there
were significant declines in spine and hip BMD among women in the placebo
group. Side effects weren't significantly different between the two
groups.

The findings were published online Aug. 18 in the Journal of
Clinical Oncology.

“Our study confirms that women experience significant bone loss due to
cancer treatments and that zoledronic acid can prevent this loss,” study
lead author Dr. Dawn L. Hershman, assistant professor of medicine at
Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in a
university news release.

“While our findings are promising, it's too early for us to recommend
this drug for all premenopausal women undergoing chemotherapy for breast
cancer, because we don't yet have all the information we need on dosing,
cost effectiveness, and whether this drug actually prevents bone
fractures,” Hershman said. “However, this research does show we need to be
more vigilant about monitoring patients' bone densities before and during
treatment, so we can protect bone health and offset bone fracture or
osteoporosis risk.”

Previous research found that similar drugs prevent bone loss in breast
cancer patients during and after chemotherapy. Recent findings have
suggested that zoledronic acid prevents bone loss in postmenopausal women
and may reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

More information

Breastcancer.org has more about chemotherapy for breast cancer.