Osteoporosis and Fracture in Men with Prostate Cancer

Rising use of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer has resulted in higher rates of both osteoporosis and nonpathologic fractures in these patients. Bisphosphonates have been widely used to lower incidence of skeletal events (e.g., pathologic fractures in patients with metastatic disease) and to attenuate development of osteoporosis. However, use of this class of drugs carries a small but real risk for development of renal insufficiency and osteonecrosis. A novel compound that might be used in this setting is denosumab, a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (a key mediator of osteoclast function and survival).

To characterize the effects of denosum…