Popular Class Of Osteoporosis Drug May Be Linked To Throat Cancer and Jaw Disorder

The Food and Drug Administration is warning there may be a link between taking a popular osteoporosis drug and the development of cancer of the esophagus.

Diane Wysowski of the FDA wrote in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that the agency has received 23 reports of people developing esophageal cancer between 1995, the year Fosamax debuted, and 2008. Of those patients, eight have died, Wysowski said.

The report did not link other bisphosphonates, like Boniva, Actonel and Didronel, to the disease, however, another recent study linked the class of drugs to a rare jaw bone disorder.

The study by the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, reported that there may be a higher risk than previously thought between taking bisphosphonates and developing osteonecrosis - a disorder where the jaw doesn't heal after trauma.

In December, the American Dental Association reported that patients taking bisphosphonates had a low risk of developing osteonecrosis.