Do Bone Drugs Lower Risk of Colon Cancer?

The osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates have been controversial because of reports that they are linked to unusual complications such as jaw bone death and atypical thigh fractures. Other side effects include severe heartburn, joint or muscle pain and possibly even an increased risk for esophageal cancer.
There is now some good news about bisphosphonates, in particular one called Actonel. Canadian researchers searched a large database of cancer patients in the province of Manitoba. It found that women taking Actonel had a 45 percent lower likelihood of being diagnosed with colon cancer. Although this is an observational study rather than a randomized controlled trial, it does offer some optimism about this class of medications.
[Cancer, online August 5, 2011]