MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 140 high-risk prostate cancer patients who were undergoing definitive treatment and who had clinically organ-confined disease and who suffered from biochemical recurrence were administered intravenous (IV) clodronate. The patients were treated with a radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP) or curative radiotherapy (RTx). Upon androgen deprivation therapy initiation, tri-monthly IV clodronate was added to the treatment to prevent bone demineralization. Twenty-six out of 60 operated cases and 45 out of 80 irradiated cases received bisphosphonate. The length of time until the first bone metastasis was recorded and analyzed.
RESULTS: No statistical difference was found for the type of primary treatment (RP or RTx) on the time to the first bone metastasis (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40 to 2.43; p=0.98). However, there was a clear advantage favoring the group that received bisphosphonate (p< 0.001). The addition of bisphosphonate delayed the appearance of the first bone metastasis by seven-fold (95% CI, 3.1 to 15.4; p< 0.001).
CONCLUSION: Treatment with tri-monthly IV clodronate delayed the time to the first bone metastasis in high-risk prostate cancer patients who were experiencing an increase in the prostate specific antigen level after definitive treatment.
Written by:
Rodrigues P, Hering FO, Meller A. Are you the author?
Department of Urology, Hospital 9 de Julho of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Reference: Cancer Res Treat. 2011 Dec;43(4):231-5.
doi: 10.4143/crt.2011.43.4.231
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22247708
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