my personal edition > osteoporosis > news


  E-Mail this DGDispatch to a colleague

DGDispatch

Risedronate Prevents Bone Loss in Men with Prostate Cancer: Presented at ENDO

By Mike Fillon


NEW ORLEANS, LA -- June 21, 2004 -- Risedronate, a bisphosphonate that is used to treat osteoporosis, lessens bone loss in men with prostate cancer who are undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), according to findings of a new study.

Kazuhiro Ishizaka, MD, of Kanto Central Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, presented the study results in a poster presentation here, June 17^th, at the 86th Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society (ENDO).

Treatment with ADT to reduce hormone levels in men with prostate cancer has the potential side effect of secondary osteoporosis because of decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and an increased risk of skeletal fractures.

Bisphosphonates are a possible treatment for osteoporosis because they inhibit the action of osteoclasts -- bone cells involved in the breakdown of bone tissue. However, most data are based on research in women. A few studies in patients with prostate cancer have suggested that bisphosphonates can prevent or even reverse bone mineral density loss in patients undergoing ADT.

In this study, researchers treated 44 patients with prostate cancer who were between the ages of 72 and 84. They received 2.5 mg of risedronate, a potent third-generation oral bisphosphonate, every day for 6 months. The patients had been treated with ADT from between 18 and 70 months.

The researchers measured the percent change in BMD from the beginning to the end of the study using the femoral neck and lumbar spine. Additionally, the urinary N-telopeptide, a degenerative material of bone collagen, was measured to determine bone resorption. The researchers discovered the BMD in lumbar spine was significantly increased from the baseline of 1099 by an average of 2.3%. Urinary N-telopeptide concentration was decreased after the treatment of risedronate for 3 months.

"We found that bone mineral density was maintained in the neck and significantly increased in the spine in the subjects while taking risedronate," says Dr. Ishizaka. "The men also experienced less bone loss while taking risedronate. These findings highlight the possible benefits of using a bisphosphonate, such as risedronate, to counteract the negative effects of prostate cancer treatment in men."

The researchers note that the treatment was also well tolerated without any major side effects in subjects.


[Presentation title: Risedronate Effectively Prevents Bone Loss in Men Receiving Androgen-Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer. Abstract # P2-515]

E-Mail this DGDispatch to a colleague

To print, use this version