VIENNA, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Austrian scientists say they've found the drug Zometa is effective in reducing the risk of early breast cancer re-occurrence or death in premenopausal women.
The research by the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group is said to be the first large, randomized, Phase III clinical trial to show Zometa (zoledronic acid) offers significant protection against the return of early breast cancer in premenopausal women.
The scientists said Zometa, along with post-surgery hormonal therapy, provided a reduction in risk of recurrence or death that was 36 percent beyond that achieved with hormone therapy alone.
The researchers said prior laboratory studies suggested Zometa might have direct anti-cancer effects, including helping to protect against the return and spread of cancer before it reaches an advanced stage-two.
"It is encouraging to see a significant reduction in risk of recurrence in these patients from a therapy that was also well-tolerated," said David Epstein, president of Novartis Oncology, the manufacturer of the drug. "The findings of this landmark trial substantiate the strong anticancer effect of Zometa beyond the well-established benefit of this treatment in preventing bone complications in advanced cancers."
The research, led by Dr. Michael Gnant of the Medical University of Vienna, appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.
