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Development of a Human Preclinical Model of Osteoclastogenesis from Peripheral Blood Monocytes Co-cultured with Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Published on: September 13, 2017
Bisphosphonates and breast cancer prevention
Rowan T Chlebowski1, Nananda Col
1Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1124 W. Carson St. Torrance, CA 90502, USA. rchlebowski@gmail.com
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
|August 26, 2011
Summary
Bisphosphonates may help prevent breast cancer recurrence and bone loss. The Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group (ABCSG) 12 study showed zoledronic acid improved disease-free survival in premenopausal patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Bone Metabolism
Background:
- Bisphosphonates are standard for managing bone complications in breast cancer patients.
- Previous adjuvant trials with oral clodronate showed mixed results on cancer recurrence.
- Zoledronic acid is an intravenous bisphosphonate investigated for breast cancer treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of zoledronic acid in improving disease-free survival in premenopausal breast cancer patients receiving endocrine therapy.
- To assess the impact of zoledronic acid on reducing various types of breast cancer recurrence.
- To explore the potential direct and indirect anti-cancer effects of bisphosphonates.
Main Methods:
- The Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group (ABCSG) 12 trial involved premenopausal breast cancer patients.
- Patients received either endocrine therapy alone or with zoledronic acid.
- Disease-free survival and recurrence rates were analyzed over 62 months.
Main Results:
- Adding zoledronic acid to endocrine therapy significantly prolonged disease-free survival (HR=0.68, p=0.008).
- Zoledronic acid reduced local, regional, and distant breast cancer recurrences.
- Supporting evidence comes from other adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and disseminated tumor cell studies.
Conclusions:
- Intravenous zoledronic acid, when added to endocrine therapy, improves disease-free survival and reduces recurrence in premenopausal breast cancer patients.
- Preclinical data suggest mechanisms for direct and indirect anti-cancer effects of bisphosphonates.
- Observational studies suggest a link between bisphosphonates and lower breast cancer incidence, though confounding factors exist.
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