Bone
metastases are known to be caused by all types of
cancer.
Cancer metastasis to bone has been said to considerably compromise patients' quality of life and adversely affect lifetime prognosis. Although progress in
cancer treatment has prolonged survival significantly, this may make increased numbers of patients suffer from bone
metastases. Until now, as for the treatment of bone
metastases, local
therapies, including
radiation therapy and surgery, were performed mainly as palliative
therapies. However,
bisphosphonate-based
therapies have recently become available and are frequently administered to delay or prevent skeletal-related events, which include pathologic
bone fracture,
spinal cord compression, radiologic treatment for bone lesions,
surgical procedures for bone lesions and
hypercalcemia. Moreover,
denosumab, the first fully human
monoclonal antibody to receptor activator of nuclear factor κ-B
ligand, was approved in the USA because of its evidence-supported clinical effects.
Denosumab was effective for prolonging the time to skeletal-related events and inhibiting the onset of
pain via the suppression of osteoclast activation.
Denosumab has been shown to have a greater effect compared with
zoledronic acid, most notably in patients with breast or
prostate cancer. In this article, the efficacy and safety of
denosumab for the treatment of bone
metastases in patients with various advanced
cancers are discussed.