Workshop of European task force on medication‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw—Current challenges

MRONJ is a potentially serious complication of anti‐resorptive (AR) treatment in patients with skeletal metastases due to various cancers as well as osteoporosis (Campisi et al., 2014). MRONJ may also develop in anti‐resorptive‐naive individuals exposed to a variety of anti‐angiogenic agents (Mohamed, Nielsen, & Schiodt, 2018; Nicolatou‐Galitis, Kouri, et al., 2019; Pimolbutr, Porter, & Fedele, 2018). MRONJ may lead to a reduced quality of life due to jaw bone infections, chronic pain, tooth loss, impaired function, and disfigurement. Since the first report by Marx, 2003 (Marx, 2003), the number of cases and relevant publications has increased significantly (M. Schiodt, PubMed Search 26.6.2019, unpublished). Despite significant progress in our knowledge of the disease, there remain a number of controversial aspects that are of high relevance to researchers, clinicians, and not least patients. The European Task Force on MRONJ comprises of a multidisciplinary group of European clinical investigators with a special interest in the diagnosis and management of MRONJ and a track record of relevant research and publications, who considered the current controversies on MRONJ a reason for academic concern, a potential threat to patients, and a limitation for better research. The group met up in two separate workshops in order to (a) highlight some of the most controversial aspects of current knowledge on MRONJ and (b) provide an expert opinion‐based consensus on these topics with a view to help clinicians making informed decisions on patient's care and inspire future investigators to design better clinical studies. The Group agreed to focus upon three highly controversial aspects of MRONJ: (a) definition and classification, (b) risk factors, and (c) management/treatment of MRONJ