Bone Drug Reduces Fractures In Men Having Hormone Therapy For Prostate Cancer
July 21st, 2008 Posted in hormone therapy, prostate cancerDrugmaker Amgen Inc announced yesterday, Monday, that a large trial of its bone drug denosumab increased bone density and cut fractures in men with non-metastatic prostate cancer who were having hormone blocking therapy. A side effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which stops the male hormones feeding the cancer, is weaker bones and increased risk of fracture.
According to the National Cancer Institute, about half of prostate cancer patients undergo hormone therapy at some stage.
According to the company, the results were comparable with other studies on bone mineral density in women undergoing hormone therapy (aromatase inhibitor) for breast cancer and in post menopausal women with low bone mass.
According to the American Cancer Society, more tha 186,000 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and the disease will kill nearly 29,000.
The Wall Street Journal reported that analysts have welcomed the trial but that the results “don’t ensure similar success in a study of the drug in women with osteoporosis”.