Patterns of bisphosphonate use in the United States in the treatment of metastatic bone disease.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of metastatic bone disease (MBD), the frequency of intravenous (I.V.) bisphosphonate use and its impact on skeletal-related events (SREs), and opioid use.


METHODS
Patients diagnosed with MBD between 2000 and 2004 were identified using 2 Thomson MarketScan Research Databases. A total of 6783 patients, 1431 with breast cancer, fulfilled the criteria. Pain was assessed as the number of days on opioids, the strength of which was categorized according to the World Health Organization 3-step ladder for pain.


RESULTS
Use of I.V. bisphosphonates steadily increased for all cancers from 17% in 2000 to 38% in 2004. For all patients, 61% received mild opioids and 35% received moderate to severe opioids at baseline. Use of I.V. bisphosphonates within the first 90 days after diagnosis of MBD was associated with a 63% decrease in SREs and reduction in use of moderate to severe opioids. Among patients with breast cancer, 10.6% received oral bisphosphonates before diagnosis of MBD, and 33.8% had pain at baseline. There was a 5.4% reduction in the use of moderate to severe opioids.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data support the role of I.V. bisphosphonates in decreasing SRE and improving the quality of life for patients with MBD; the result is less pain and fewer SREs. More than 73% of all patients and 53% of patients with breast cancer never receive I.V. bisphosphonate treatment. Educational measures are warranted to increase the awareness by patients and physicians of the value of I.V. bisphosphonates in MBD.
Mortimer
Joanne E
JE
Clinical Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92092-0987, USA. jemortimer@ucsd.edu
Schulman
Kathy
K
Kohles
Joseph D
JD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary*; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D050815:Fractures, Compression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D004164:Diphosphonates