NSW: New treatment for cancer induced bone pain

AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2001
NSW: New treatment for cancer induced bone pain

SYDNEY, April 2 AAP - A new bone-strengthening pill which relieves cancer-induced bone
pain was today hailed as a breakthrough for cancer patients, especially those living in
the country.

Sodium Clodronate, or Bonefos, treats patients with osteolysis, the degenerative bone
disease caused especially by breast cancer.

It also could treat the 5,000 patients diagnosed every year with multiple myeloma,
another degenerative bone disease.

The disease was previously treated intravenously, requiring the patients to visit hospital
once every three or four weeks for up to five hours, oncologist Professor John Levi, who
is based at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital, said today.

Prof Levi said breast cancer patients who lived in rural areas would have easy access
to the medication.

"Breast cancer can obviously occur anywhere and many of these patients are people who
live outside major centres and cities," he said

"Creating these sorts of problems in those settings causes major difficulties in terms
of their management, particularly if they are going to have problems coming into centres
for frequent treatments."

Canadian oncologist Professor Alexander Paterson said trials of Bonefos had demonstrated
the the drug was effective in relieving cancer-induced bone pain and decreasing the incidence
of fractures.

The drug's side effects include nausea and constipation.

Australian Olympic legend Raylene Boyle, who has had a high profile fight with breast
cancer since she was diagnosed in 1996, said today the new drug gave cancer patients more
options to consider for treatment.

"I'm supporting the research into finding things that are going to make life for women
with breast cancer and the ongoing problems better," she said.

Bonefos will be made available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from May 1.

AAP rhp/jjs/mg/bwl

KEYWORD: BONEFOS

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