Management of castration-resistant prostate cancer: bisphosphonates and emerging therapies

Abstract

Approximately 70% of patients with prostate cancer will develop bone metastases that often lead to bone pain and skeletal-related events. Several bisphosphonates have shown promising activity for palliating pain. Only zoledronic acid has significantly delayed the onset and reduced the incidence of skeletal-related events in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer. In addition, studies suggest that bisphosphonates have anticancer activity that may prevent disease progression and improve survival. Clodronate was shown to improve survival in a study of men with metastatic androgen-sensitive prostate cancer. Emerging therapies are being investigated for their ability to maintain bone health. The findings presented herein highlight the importance of bone-targeted therapies for patients with bone metastases from prostate cancer.

Keywords::

• bisphosphonate
• bone metastases
• prostate cancer
• skeletal-related events
• survival
• zoledronic acid

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Fred Saad holds the University of Montreal Chair in Prostate Cancer and has received research funding, attended advisory board meetings and received honoraria for speaking on behalf of Novartis Oncology. Marc Colombel has received honoraria for speaking on behalf of Novartis Oncology. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Financial support for medical editorial assistance was provided by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. We thank Rosemary E Teresi, ProEd Communications, Inc.^®, for her medical editorial assistance with this manuscript.