Zometa benefits early-stage breast cancer patients

Swiss drug major Novartis' Zometa (zoledronic acid) offered a significant anticancer benefit for pre-menopausal women with hormone-sensitive, early-stage breast cancer. The study found that Zometa added to hormone therapy after surgery significantly reduced the risk of death or cancer returning by 36% (p=0.01) over the clinical benefits achieved with hormone therapy alone.

"This study is the first large-scale trial to demonstrate the significant antitumor benefit of zoledronic acid," said lead investigator Michael Gnant, adding that the findings may allow oncologists to further improve the standard-of-care for pre-menopausal women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer.

The ABCSG-12 study, in which women were treated for three years and observed for an additional two years, demonstrated that the addition of Zometa to hormone therapy (tamoxifen or anastrozole) reduced the risk of disease-free survival events (which include death from any cause) by 36%. Furthermore, the risk of recurrence-free survival events fell by 35% with Zometa. A positive but non-significant trend toward an overall survival benefit was also seen in patients who received the drug, Novartis noted.