Objective: To understand the clinical features of osteonecrosis of the jaw after bisphosphonates use for therapy of breast cancer patients with bone metastasis.
Methods: The cases diagnosed as bisphosphonates-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) were retrospectively analyzed from January 2011 to August 2015 in the Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, and those breast cancer patients with bone metastasis were selected. The clinical symptoms, imaging characteristics and treatment results were summarized.
Results: A total of 14 cases of breast cancer patients with bone metastasis were selected, with an average age of 60.21 years. The average time of suffering from breast cancer was 9.77 years, and the average time of bone metastasis and bisphosphonates drugs use was 5.67 and 3.29 years individually. There was no patient with systemic application history of hormone therapy, and no history of diabetes. There were 9 patients with tooth extractions history, and the mean time of bone necrosis symptoms was 8.58 months. There were 10 cases with bone necrosis occurring on mandible, 3 cases on maxilla, and one case with both upper and lower jaws involved. Among the 10 patients with surgical treatment, there were 3 cases cured, and 6 cases improved. However, the clinical symptoms of 2 cases with conservative treatment were significantly aggravated.
Conclusion: The medication time between the bisphosphonates use beginning and the occurrence of BRONJ is relatively long. The history of diabetes and long-time hormone use did not exist in this group. Tooth extraction itself does not determine the severity of BRONJ. Mandible is the most common site involved by BRONJ. Surgical treatment can alleviate the clinical symptoms of BRONJ with breast cancer to some extent.