[Zoledronic acid in the treatment of prostate cancer]

Zoledronic acid is the most biologically active of all bisphosphonates. Clinical evidence suggests that it acts not only on osteoclasts and bone resorption but that it also displays antitumoral activity, proaptotic activity in synergy with antineoplastic drugs and antiangiogenic activity. Moreover, studies on zoledronic acid have reported that the agent is the only biphosphonate of demonstrated efficacy (vs. placebo) in the treatment of prostate cancer, both at a late stage of disease following bone metastasis (over 5-month delay of first skeletal event and 36% reduction in global risk of skeletal complications) and at bone demineralization in subjects receiving androgenic depletion (overall improvement of 8% in bone mineral density).