Dr. Brufsky on Adjuvant Bisphosphonates for Patients with Breast Cancer

Adam M. Brufsky, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, associate chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, discusses whether or not adjuvant bisphosphonates are ready to be a new standard of care in breast cancer.

Brufsky says he believes bisphosphonates are ready to be used in the adjuvant setting. Just as there was a meta-analysis for chemotherapy, there is a meta-analysis for adjuvant bisphosphonates. This analysis showed that 22,000 post-menopausal women experienced a survival benefit and disease-free survival benefit of about 3-4% when taking bisphosphonates. The data from this meta-analysis shows that adjuvant bisphosphonates are as significant as chemotherapy, Brufsky says.

Because of this, Brufsky believes that physicians are ready to use adjuvant bisphosphonates as a standard of care in breast cancer.