There is a ray of hope for breast cancer patients as researchers have developed a new drug called Zometa, which prevents bone loss during breast cancer treatment and cuts the chance of the disease returning by one-third.
Breast cancer kills 502,000 women globally every year according to the World Health Organisation.
Liza Marshall was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer more than two-years-ago. It's now in remission, but Liza fears the return of the cancer every day. "I'm 45-years-old and I'd like to see my children grow up," says Liza.
Results of a new study are offering patients like Liza Marshall hope. The study involved 1,800 pre-menopausal women taking hormone treatments for early-stage breast cancer.
Zometa, also known as zolodronic acid, cuts the chances that cancer would recur in their bones or anywhere else by one-third. The new study was sponsored by Zometa's maker, Swiss-based Novartis, and British-based company AstraZeneca PLC.
It's still unclear exactly why Zometa slowed the cancer, but doctors hope it could help patients with other forms of the disease.
"Zometa could help fight prostate cancer which can also spread to the bone," says Dr Claudine Isaacs who is with the Georgetown University Lombardi Cancer Centre.
However, the study was limited to patients of a pre-menopausal age who had not undergone chemotherapy. Today three quarters of breast cancers occur in women after menopause.
"Zolodronic acid should not be an automatic choice for treatment of breast cancer as it should be confined to those who develop the disease before menopause," says Dr Eric Winer who is with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
But for Liza Marshall the new findings are encouraging, "I have plans for retirement with my husband, and I would like to see this come to fruition," she says.
Liza is now enrolled in a new research study for Zometa
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