Zoledronic acid in metastatic chondrosarcoma and advanced sacrum chordoma: two case reports

INTRODUCTION: Chondrosarcomas and chordomas are usually chemoresistant bone tumors and may have a poor prognosis when advanced. They are usually associated with worsening pain difficult to control. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Zoledronic acid was used in a 63-year-old man with metastatic chondrosarcoma and in a 66-year-old woman with a diagnosis of sacrum chordoma both reporting severe pain related to tumor. RESULTS: In the first case, zoledronic acid was able to maintain pain control despite disease progression following chemotherapy, in the other case, zoledronic acid only produced significant clinical benefit. CONCLUSION: Control of pain associated with bone tumors such as chondrosarcoma and chondroma may significantly improve from use of zoledronic acid, independently from tumor response to other treatments. Evaluation on larger series are needed to confirm the clinical effect of this bisphosphonate on such tumors.