New Research Findings on Clinical Benefits of Bisphosphonates in Patients With Advanced Prostate Cancer

Objectives: Bone metastases develop in the majority of patients with advanced prostate cancer, and this fact puts these patients at high risk for potentially debilitating skeletal complications. Emerging therapies for the prevention of these complications are important for preserving patients’ quality of life. Methods: Existing and novel therapies were identified and researched through PubMed and published guidelines. Results: Several trials have examined the effects of bisphosphonates on bone metastases. However, zoledronic acid is the only bisphosphonate to demonstrate significant objective benefits in a long-term, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial in men with bone metastases secondary to hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Intravenous zoledronic acid (4 mg by 15-min infusion every 3 wk) provided significant benefits compared with placebo, including a reduction in all types of skeletal complications. In addition, zoledronic acid significantly ( p < 0.05) decreased bone pain levels compared with placebo at the first on-study pain assessment, and benefits remained significant at the 24-mo time point ( p < 0.05). Conclusions: Zoledronic acid provides significant benefit to patients with secondary to hormone-refractory prostate cancer. It of skeletal-related events, decreases bone pain levels, www.eu-acme.org/ europeanurology to read and bone metastases reduces all types answer questions on-line. additional benefits. sociation of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. The EU-ACME credits will then be attributed and may provide # 2006 European As