Acura RDX

TUESDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Oral sodium clodronate
improves overall survival in advanced prostate cancer patients but doesn't
reduce the risk of death in those with localized disease, British
researchers say.

They reported on the long-term survival outcomes of more than 800 men
enrolled in two trials launched in 1994. The trials examined the effects
of sodium clodronate in patients with advanced (311 men) or localized
prostate cancer (508 men).

The advanced prostate cancer patients who received the drug had a 23
percent lower death rate than patients who took a placebo. After five
years, overall survival was 30 percent among men who took oral sodium
clodronate and 21 percent among those in the placebo group. After 10
years, the survival rates were 17 percent and 9 percent, respectively, the
researchers found.

However, the drug offered no improvement in overall survival to men
with localized prostate cancer. After five years, overall survival was 78
percent among those who took clodronate and 80 percent among those given a
placebo. After 10 years, the survival rates were 48 percent and 51
percent, respectively.

The findings are believed to be the first "to show an overall survival
benefit conferred by an oral bisphosphonate when given in addition to
standard hormone therapy to men with bone metastases who are starting or
responding to hormone therapy," wrote Matthew Sydes, of the Medical
Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, and colleagues. "However, there is
no evidence that clodronate is of any benefit when given as an adjuvant to
treatment in men with non-metastatic prostate cancer."

The study appears online and in the September print issue of The
Lancet Oncology.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about prostate cancer treatment.