Optimizing skeletal-related events prevention in patients with advanced prostate cancer

Abstract

In patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), bone is a dominant site of metastasis. Bone metastases often lead to skeletal-related events (SREs), which include pain, spinal cord compression and fractures. The treatment of bone metastases in men with mCRPC aims to improve SRE-free survival, quality of life and clinical outcomes. Effective treatment options include antiresorptive bone-targeted agents such as zoledronic acid and denosumab, and radium-223, a bone-targeting radiopharmaceutical. Although overseas and local guidelines have widely recommended using either zoledronic acid or denosumab for the prevention of SREs in men with mCRPC and associated bone metastases, current evidence suggests that denosumab is superior to zoledronic acid in terms of longer SRE-free time and fewer total SREs observed in patients.