Sept. 27, 2001
     Prostate Cancer

SUBSCRIBE FREE

Browse Archives
by cancer site

n Lung

n Breast

n General

n Prostate

n Leukemia

n Lymphoma

n Skin Cancer

n Colon

n Cervical/Uteri

n Ovarian

n Pancreatic

n News/Issues

About Us

Front Page

Subscribe

Archives

Contact Us

Medication blocks osteoporosis in prostate cancer patients

BOSTON -- Sep. 27, 2001 -- Although osteoporosis is typically thought of as a problem of older women, one of the fastest-growing groups at risk for the bone thinning disease are men with prostate cancer who receive therapy to lower testosterone levels.

Addition of a drug to such hormone-blocking therapies can stop bone loss, according to results of a new study in today's New England Journal of Medicine.

In the study, researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) led by senior author Dr. Joel Finkelstein describe how the drug pamidronate prevented bone loss in prostate cancer patients treated with what are called GnRH agonists.

"The problems of bone loss and fracture due to hormonal suppression therapy for prostate cancer are often not appreciated by clinicians," Finkelstein said in a statement. "As men with prostate cancer receive these therapies earlier in the course of their disease and for longer periods of time, these problems are bound to increase."

Testosterone and other male hormones called androgens stimulate the growth of prostate cancer. As a result, treatments that suppress levels of such hormones have become a mainstay of treatment for advanced prostate cancer, however, osteoporosis is among these drugs' most significant side effects.

The study enrolled 47 prostate cancer patients who received intravenous treatments containing either only the drug leuprolide, a GnRH agonist, or leuprolide plus pamidronate, a drug that stops the breakdown of bone and is used to treat several bone diseases.

After the 48-week study period, there were significant differences in bone mineral density between the two groups: those receiving leuprolide alone had bone loss at various sites ranging from 2 to 8 percent, while the men who also received pamidronate had no significant changes in bone density.

The study's lead author, Dr. Matthew R. Smith says the study revealed the importance of minimizing this significant side effect.

"This is the first study to show a safe and effective way to prevent bone loss among men on androgen-deprivation therapy," says Smith, an oncologist. "The high rates of bone loss seen in the control group highlight the real risk of osteoporosis for these patients."

The researchers note that future studies are required to refine potential treatment strategies.

"We need both to determine the dosages and treatment intervals of pamidronate that are most effective and to investigate whether other osteoporosis treatments, including those that can be administered orally, can also be helpful for these patients," says Finkelstein.