Osteoporosis drug may prevent cancer

Patients with osteoporosis or brittle bones, who take drugs to strengthen bones may slow the depletion of bone. It can also be given to cancer patients who suffer symptoms of bone loss, such as multiple myeloma which can prevent the destruction of cells in the bone marrow.

Researchers in England found that one drug, called zoledronic acid, may improve survival of cancer patients and prevent bone loss. The findings were published in the Lancet medical journal in Orlando, Florida.

The authors wrote in The Lancet: “The improvement in overall survival with zoledronic acid remained significant after adjustment for the reduction in risk of skeletal-related events. These data add to growing clinical evidence supporting anticancer benefits with zoledronic acid in patients with newly diagnosed cancers."

"Although we have not definitively identified the underlying mechanism of action, the early improvement in overall survival with zoledronic acid compared with clodronic acid supports early use of zoledronic acid in multiple myeloma.”

In an accompanying comment article, Dr Vincent Rajkumar, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said other less expensive drugs are available which have fewer side effects than zoledronic acid.