Study: Fosamax, Other Drugs Double Risk of Esophageal Cancer

Oxford, UKA recent study has revealed that the use of Fosamax, along with other bone-building drugs, can double a patient's chance of developing esophageal cancer.

Researchers from the University of Oxford in the UK examined medical records and found that the use of Fosamax and other oral bisphosphonates may increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The researchers, who published their findings in the British Medical Journal, examined data from the UK General Practice Research Database for patients who took oral bisphosphonates between January 1996 and December 2006, and followed patients for an average of seven years. The study found that those who had filled 10 or more prescriptions for oral bisphosphonates or had used such medications for five or more years were twice as likely to develop esophageal cancer as the general population.

Additionally, the study revealed that filling just one prescription for Fosamax and other oral bisphosphonates was linked to a 30 percent increase in the likelihood of developing esophageal cancer.

Diane K. Wysocki of the FDA's drug risk assessment division wrote in the same medical journal that while the risk of developing esophageal cancer remained low for patients on oral bisphosphonates, doctors should ask patients if they have a history of digestive disorders.