The emerging role of bisphosphonates in prostate cancer.
Bisphosphonates are a class of therapeutic agents originally designed to treat loss of bone density. It has been shown that the primary mechanism of action is inhibition of osteoclastic activity. Accumulating data show that these drugs are useful in diseases with propensities toward osseous metastases. In particular, they are effective in diseases in which there is clear upregulation of osteoclastic or osteolytic activity such as breast cancer and multiple myeloma. Despite the fact that osseous metastases in prostate cancer manifest as osteosclerosis rather than osteolysis, studies now show that bisphosphonates are useful in the management of this disease. In particular, they have demonstrated an impact on osteoporosis associated with hormonal therapy, bone pain from metastases, and skeleton-related events from prostatic adenocarcinoma. This review briefly summarizes the available clinical data on the utilization of bisphosphonates in the disease of prostate cancer.
Posadas
Edwin M
EM
Medical Oncology Clinical Research Unit, Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, MSC 1750, Building 10, Room 5B52, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Dahut
William L
WL
Gulley
James
J
D000818:Animals; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
D004164:Diphosphonates