Common bone drugs may double risk of esophageal cancer

A new study published in the British Medical Journal found that a common class of bone drugs called Bisphosphonates (Fosamax, Boniva, Reclast and Actonel) increase the risk for esophageal cancer, perhaps even doubling it.

Bisphosphonates work by reducing bone resorption (breakdown of bone and loss of calcium and other important minerals) and helping support bone growth.

Here are a couple key points reported by Reuters:

They found that people with 10 or more prescriptions for bisphosphonates, or with prescriptions over about five years, had nearly double the risk of esophageal cancer compared with people with no bisphosphonate prescriptions.
In Europe and North America, the incidence of esophageal cancer at age 60-79 is typically 1 per 1,000 population over five years, and this is estimated to increase to about 2 per 1,000 with five years’ use of oral bisphosphonates,” they wrote in a report of their findings.
In people who had one or more previous prescriptions for oral bisphosphonates, the risk of developing of esophageal cancer was 30 percent higher than in those who had never taken the drugs. The researchers found no links between bisphosphonate prescriptions and stomach or bowel cancer.

While it is important to note the risk of developing esophageal cancer is low to begin with and thus doubling the risk still presents a relatively low risk, taking a drug known to increase my risk of cancer is definitely something I want to avoid.

With this is mind, I wanted to focus on supporting bone health from a supplemental perspective. Note – If you’re currently taking a perscripton bone drug, it’s best to check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting a nutritional bone formula. While I’m not aware of any contraindications, it’s always best to double check.

Here are a few things to look for in a good bone formula. Note – I’ve written and podcasted on this before, but this issue is so important it bears repeating here.

A highly absorbable form of calcium (plant sourced, hydroxyapatite, citrate) – If possible, avoid calcium-carbonate. It’s difficult to break down and can often lead to digestive problems.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin K2 (really any vitamin K is good, but because K2 does not appear to affect blood coagulation, it’s the better supplemental choice)
A highly absorbable helper minerals including magnesium, boron, silica and a variety of trace minerals including strontium

Remember – calcium alone is not enough (and for that matter calcium and vitamin D3 alone may not be enough either) to build strong bones. You really do need a well rounded bone-support formula.

–Michael Ventresca