Please note that the the material below is intended primarily for healthcare professionals and researchers. Patient-oriented material is available by clicking this link.

At the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology, Dr. Durie presented the results of the web-based survey that many of you were kind enough to help us with. We are encouraged by the discussions that have ensued and are hopeful that this will help us raise awareness about this very serious issue and facilitate timely action.

View a slide show of Dr. Durie's ASH 2004 Presentation.

PDFs and videos of this presentation can be viewed by clicking on the icons on the right.

Dr. Robert A. Kyle, chairman of the IMF's Scientific Advisory Board, made the following statement following Dr. Durie's presenation at ASH:

"The presentation by Dr. Durie raises a concern to all of us.

Although the web-based study has epidemiologic shortcomings and does not allow one to say anything about the frequency of osteonecrosis of the jaw, it does demonstrate its existence. In my 40+ years of caring for patients with multiple myeloma, I have not seen or heard of osteonecrosis of the jaw in this disease until 1-2 years ago.

We definitely need more data/information about this condition. At present I believe it is prudent to advise patients to avoid dental procedures while taking intravenous bisphosphonates. Studies are needed to define the duration and dosage of bisphosphonate therapy for multiple myeloma. Furthermore, we need to address the status/activity of myeloma bone disease in making this decision.

Bisphosphonates have proven benefit in multiple myeloma. We must be careful not to “throw out the baby with the bath water.”