Bisphosphonates useful if other treatments fail

January 19, 2004

OTTAWA —Bisphosphonates are modestly effective in relieving the pain of cancer that has spread into bone concludes a recent systematic review by the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (CCOHTA).

Primary cancers such as breast, prostate and multiple myeloma can metastasize into bone. The most common symptom is pain, which is not always easy to control.

Bisphosphonates, approved in Canada to treat osteoporosis and other bone conditions, are being used to relieve bone pain when other treatments have not been sufficiently effective.

“What physicians and candidates for this therapy should know is that evidence from 51 randomized trials suggests that bisphosphonates modestly reduce the pain of bone metastases within 12 weeks of treatment,” says Dr. Rebecca Wong, lead author of the study. “This may be useful for patients with severe pain when alternatives have failed.”

The objective of the CCOHTA report was to assess the benefits and safety of bisphosphonates compared to placebo or other available treatments.

There was not enough evidence to determine which bisphosphonate agent is preferred or the most effective dose. The drugs were generally well tolerated, with nausea and vomiting the most common side effect.

The Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment is an independent not-for-profit organization that provides unbiased, reliable information about health technologies. CCOHTA delivers a health technology assessment program and the Common Drug Review. CCOHTA is funded by the Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments.

For further information contact Kirk Fergusson: 613 226-2553 ext. 276