Dr. Eastham: We think so.
Dr. Eastham: Yes, it's exactly the same pathology.
Dick: Dr. Eastham mentioned some of those.
Dr. Eastham: It has to do with the environment.
Dr. Eastham: Certainly, it's safe to mix these drugs.
Dr. Eastham: Newer modalities are going to become available.
Dr. Eastham: The common theme in both of those treatments is intravenous bisphosphonates.
Dr. Eastham: If they're going to be on long-term hormonal therapy,
they should be.
Dr. Eastham: With the way that it's currently given,
the risk of kidney malfunction is very rare.
Dr. Eastham: In some of the studies,
they actually have been shown to increase bone mineral density.
Dr. Eastham: Unfortunately,
as with many medical conditions, you really don't know you have it until there's been a bad event.
Dr. Eastham: Bisphosphonates are a category of medications
that inhibit one of the bone cells, called an osteoclast, that eats up bone.
Dr. Eastham: When a cancer cell invades the bone,
the type of lesion it establishes will depend on how it interacts with the bone cells.
Dr. Eastham: It's been known for quite some time now,
but the indications or the length of time that men are on androgen-deprivation therapy[hormone therapy for prostate cancer] is increasing.
Dr. Eastham: We are looking at the role of intravenous
bisphosphonates as a preventer of the establishment of metastatic disease in the bones, so that's certainly an area of active research.
Dr. Eastham: Just being informed,
I think, is the most critical aspect of being proactive about one's health, and discussing these issues with your healthcare team, making sure that they understand that bone health is important.
Dr. Eastham: Yes,
it took a while for us to realize that bone loss was an issue for men with prostate cancer and as new therapies became available and were being investigated, I was involved in some trials that evaluated their potential impact on patients' health.