A recent study, presented at the International Academy of Oral Oncology, suggests that in order to prevent jawbone disease, myeloma patients should receive a dental examination before beginning bisphosphonate (BP) therapy.

The duration of BP therapy and the severity of myeloma are linked to the development of jaw bone disease, or osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). ONJ occurs when there is a loss of blood supply to the jaw, causing the jawbone tissue to die.

BPs are a class of drugs that prevent bone from breaking down. They are commonly…

A recent report, published in conjunction with the 45th annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), suggests that skeletal complications are an important prognostic factor in multiple myeloma patients treated with the drug Zometa (zoledronic acid).

The researchers studied osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ), or death of bone tissue in the jaw, which is a common side effect of Zometa. They found that the development of ONJ was associated with a reduced risk of skeletal-related events, such as bone pain and fracture, and increased overall…

A recent article in the Annals of Oncology discusses how preventive measures can be taken to reduce the occurrence of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in patients taking Zometa. Zometa (zolendronic acid) is a common bisphosphonate (BP) therapy given to treat bone damage due to myeloma, but like other BPs, the medication causes an unwanted side-effect, ONJ.

ONJ occurs when there is a loss of blood supply to the jaw, eventually causing jawbone death. In this study, patients were diagnosed with ONJ if there was exposed bone in…

Zoledronic acid (INN) or zoledronate (marketed by Novartis under the trade names Zometa, Zomera, Aclasta and Reclast) is a bisphosphonate. Zometa is used to prevent skeletal fractures in patients with cancers such as multiple myeloma and prostate cancer. It can also be used to treat hypercalcemia of malignancy and can be helpful for treating pain from bone metastases. [...]