Randy Sheffield, a member of the Malecare Advanced Prostate Cancer Online support group recently has had his fight with advanced prostate cancer made even more complex when he developed Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). ONJ is an uncommon but terrible side effect of taking bisphosphonates. Randy wrote a warning to all the members of the [...]
The number of cancer survivors is increasing, soon to be as many of 13 million of us in the world! Bones are often affected in cancer survivors, usually a result of bone metastases, or of anti-cancer therapies which can contribute to bone loss and fragility. Bone disease in cancer survivors can result both from the [...]
A study from Michael T. Schweizer, MD, and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore Md. concluded that the longer the metastasis-free survival after a radical prostatectomy the longer overall survival in men who experience biochemical recurrence (PSA only recurrence) of their prostate cancer. This conclusion was made from a retrospectively study of 450 men [...]
An article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet Oncology reports that an oral bisphosphonate, sodium clodronate, improves overall survival in men with advanced prostate cancer. However, it does not reduce the risk of death in men with localized disease. These are the final results of the MRC PR05 and MRC [...]
Pamidronate and zoledronic acid (bisphosphonates) are a mainstay in the treatment of men with advanced prostate cancer as well as for breast cancer survivors for the prevention of skeletal-related events (SREs). There have been many clinical trials comparing the efficacy and side effect profiles between pamidronate and zoledronic acid among men with advanced prostate cancer. [...]
A recent study of one man at the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands combined both treatment modalities, radiopharmaceuticals and bisphosphonates, to combat bone pain caused by bone metastases. Their results were surprising. Bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals and bisphosphonates are both an indicated treatment for men with prostate cancer when painful [...]
Taking bisphosphonates as a part of our prostate cancer treatment puts all of us in direct risk of developing osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates have been found to place us in a high-risk state for developing osteonecrosis of the jaws (rotting of the jaw bones). It is now possible to use X-rays to detect "ghost sockets" in the [...]
One of the constant questions that come up when considering whether to take intravenous bisphosphonates is the murky issue surrounding jaw or facile bone inflammation and infections. Most of us are aware of the risk and depending whom you speak with the issue is either a major problem or just a nonsense blip that will [...]
