Sodium Clodronate Increases Survival in Advanced Prostate Cancer Cases
11 August 2009 - ICR scientists and other UK researchers have discovered that oral sodium clodronate improves the overall survival in men with advanced prostate cancer, but does not reduce the risk of death in men with localised disease.
As prostate cancer most commonly spreads to the bone, it has previously been suggested that bisphosphonates, a group of drugs that prevent the loss of bone mass, might improve the outcomes of patients with advanced prostate cancer. Two trials into sodium clodronate, one such biophasphate, began in 1994 and scientists recently completed a follow-up study to determine long-term survival benefits.
The MRC PR05 trial involved 311 men with advanced prostate cancer, while the MRC PR04 trial involved 508 men with localised prostate cancer. Findings published online in Lancet Oncology showed a 23 per cent relative decrease of death in the men given sodium clodronate compared to those receiving a placebo.
However, clodronate showed no benefit in overall survival in men with localised disease — at five years, overall survival was 78 per cent in patients given clodronate and 80 per cent in patients given placebo.
ICR scientist Professor David Dearnaley, who was the Chief Investigator for the metastatic trial, said: “PR05 is the first trial, to our knowledge, to show an overall survival benefit conferred by an oral bisphosphonate when given in addition to standard hormone therapy to men with bone metastases who are starting or responding to hormone therapy.”
These results encourage further research into using sodium clodronate as well as newer bishosphonates.
