A prospective randomized controlled clinical trial of zoledronic acid for bone metastases

Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2006 Jan-Feb;23(1):41-50. doi: 10.1177/104990910602300107.

Abstract

In this study, we assessed the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of two therapeutic regimens relating to the frequency of zoledronic acid (ZOL) infusion. Sixty adult patients with bone metastases were randomly assigned to two study groups. The first group (group A) received 4 mg ZOL every two weeks, and the second group (group B) received 4 mg ZOL every four weeks. Assessment measures included C-telopeptide (CTX) rate, the Greek Brief Pain Inventory (GBPI), the linear analogue scale assessment (LASA) of quality of life, and biochemical markers. Assessments were made at weeks 12, 24, 36, and 48. Clinical endpoints included effective decrease in bone resorption markers, pain relief and improvement of mobility status. The follow-up period was 48 weeks. No statistically significant differences between groups A and B were found in overall profile of biochemical markers, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, and GBPI score at the end of the follow-up period. Assessment of bone metastases revealed a slight difference between the two groups, however this difference was not statistically significant. These findings indicate that administering zoledronic acid at four rather that two weeks has no significant impact on overall outcome.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Bone Density / drug effects
  • Bone Density Conservation Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Bone Neoplasms / complications
  • Bone Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Bone Resorption / drug therapy*
  • Bone Resorption / etiology
  • Diphosphonates / administration & dosage*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / administration & dosage*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Palliative Care / methods*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Zoledronic Acid

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Bone Density Conservation Agents
  • Diphosphonates
  • Imidazoles
  • Zoledronic Acid