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Zometa for bone mets?

Page last modified on: March 17, 2010

Question from Martha: What are your thoughts about Zometa for bone mets? I have a few spots on my ribs, no pain.: Answers —Eric Winer, M.D.: Zometa is a drug which is called a bisphosphonate, and the other drug in that same class that is often used for women who have recurrent breast cancer is Aredia. These drugs are very useful for many, many women who have breast cancer that has spread to the bone. They can decrease pain, prevent fractures, reduce the need for radiation to the bone, and reduce the chance that a woman will develop a high calcium level.

Without knowing a little bit more about those abnormalities you have in your bones, I can't say for sure that you should be on it, but it's certainly something you should talk to your doctor about, and it's a treatment that might be very useful. It is a treatment that is given intravenously, typically every 3-4 weeks. And, by the way, this is also a drug that is very helpful in treating osteoporosis.; Marisa Weiss, M.D., Breastcancer.org president and founder: It is in the same family of drugs as Fosamax and Actonel.

On Wednesday, September 17, 2003, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Metastatic Breast Cancer. Musa Mayer, Eric P. Winer, M.D., and Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about treatment and quality of life issues related to advanced (metastatic) breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of Breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Musa Mayer is a trained counselor with a specialty in women's issues, a patient advocate for the National Cancer Institute and has written a memoir of her own experiences with breast cancer.

Eric Winer, M.D. is director of the breast oncology center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Gillette Centers for Women's Cancers and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

Breastcancer.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information and community to those touched by this disease. Learn more about our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information.

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