Abstract
To examine the effect of timely zoledronic acid (ZA) treatment on clinical outcomes and health care utilization in patients with bone-metastatic prostate cancer. Patients with prostate cancer and bone metastasis were identified in a Veterans Affairs database (01/2002–09/2009). Eligible patients had no documented skeletal-related events (SREs) before the index date (that is, the first bone metastasis diagnosis date). Patients who received early ZA treatment, defined as having a ZA infusion after the index date and before any recorded SREs, were matched 1:1 on propensity score to patients not treated with bisphosphonates (BPs). Risks of SREs, hospitalization and death during the 6-month post-index period were compared between matched cohorts using Kaplan–Meier analyses. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the matched cohorts (n=73 per group). 6-month SRE-free survival and hospitalization-free survival were higher in patients receiving timely ZA than patients without BP treatment (91.7 versus 71.5%, P<0.01; 80.5 versus 66.3%, P=0.05, respectively). 6-month mortality risk was significantly lower in patients treated with ZA versus those without BP treatment (4.3 versus 13.8%, P=0.04). Timely ZA intervention in bone-metastatic prostate cancer patients was associated with significant reductions in 6-month risks of SREs, hospitalization and mortality, as compared with no BP treatment.
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Acknowledgements
The funding for this study was provided by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USA. We wish to thank the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) 16 data warehouse for the de-identified data set. The contents of this manuscript do not represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government. The authors thank Arielle Bensimon for editing the manuscript.
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NV Velde, L Shi, and J Liu are affiliated with Tulane University and Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System and do not have financial interest associated with this publication. Similarly, EQ Wu, M Lu, AP Yu, H Sharma and CPS Fan are employees of Analysis Group, Inc. and do not have financial interest associated with this publication. A Guo is an employee of Novartis Pharmaceuticals and may hold stocks of the company.
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Velde, N., Wu, E., Guo, A. et al. The benefits of timely intervention with zoledronic acid in patients with metastatic prostate cancer to bones: a retrospective study of the US Veterans Affairs population. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 14, 79–84 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/pcan.2010.49
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/pcan.2010.49
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