Zoledronic acid: a framework of emerging anticancer evidence throughout the cancer continuum.

摘要

1. Life before and after bisphosphonates Before the introduction of bisphosphonates (BPs), patients with malignant bone disease could expect to experience multiple skeletal-related events (SREs) during the last few months of life, including pathologic fracture, spinal cord compression, and hypercalcemia of malignancy. These serious and potentially debilitating events not only diminished patients' functional mobility and quality of life, but also increased their risk of death. This is particularly true for patients with multiple myeloma, the vast majority of whom develop osteolytic bone lesions during the course of their disease. Fortunately, advances in supportive care for cancer patients have included the use of BP therapy to prevent bone loss during adjuvant therapy for patients with early disease and to reduce the risk of SREs in patients with advanced metastatic disease. During the last several years, the traditionally supportive role of BPs has begun to expand, and now may include their potential use for anticancer benefit.