Study: Fosamax does not increase risk of esophageal cancer

Chicago, ILA recent study of Fosamax and other drugs used to fight osteoporosis revealed that such medications do not increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined more than 80,000 people and revealed that the rate of esophageal cancer in those who take oral bisphosphonates is not measurably different from that of the population as a whole, CNN Health reports.

"Older individuals taking bisphosphonates for the treatment of osteoporosis do not need to worry about esophageal cancer, and physicians should not withhold ... bisphosphonates because of esophageal cancer risk," said Dr. Nancy Lane, the director of the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of California, Davis.

The study was conducted after an official for the US Food and Drug Adminstration revealed that the agency had received 24 reports of esophageal cancer in people who took oral bisphosphonates, particularly Fosamax. Of those two dozen cases, eight were fatal.

While the study shows that Fosamax may not increase the risk of esophageal cancer, a separate study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association linked the medication to osteonecrosis, which causes the jaw bone to disintegrate.