Zoledronic acid in genitourinary cancer

• Published in: Clinical & translational oncology Vol. 15; no. 11; pp. 871 - 878
• Main Authors: Climent, M. A., Anido, U., Méndez-Vidal, M. J., Puente, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Bone Density Conservation Agents - therapeutic use; Bone Neoplasms - drug therapy; Bone Neoplasms - secondary; Diphosphonates - therapeutic use; Educational Series–Red Series; Humans; Imidazoles - therapeutic use; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Quality of Life; Urogenital Neoplasms - drug therapy; Urogenital Neoplasms - pathology; Zoledronic acid; Genitourinary cancer; Urothelial cancer; Kidney cancer
• ISSN: 1699-048X; 1699-3055
• DOI: 10.1007/s12094-013-1033-1

Bone metastases are a common complication of advanced prostate cancer and while they are less common in non-prostate genitourinary (GU) malignances, they have been reported in up to 35 % of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma and bladder cancer. Furthermore, they may occur in more than two-thirds of those patients with bladder cancer who develop distant metastases. In the absence of bone-targeted therapies, approximately 50 % of all patients with metastatic bone disease from GU cancers experience at least one skeletal-related event within their lifetime. Zoledronic acid is a bisphosphonate that has been shown to delay or prevent the development of skeletal complications in patients with bone metastases and reduce bone pain in these patients. Furthermore, zoledronic acid has also demonstrated the ability to prevent osteopenia, which may occur with the prolonged use of some pharmacological interventions in patients with cancer.