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Calcitonin for metastatic bone pain
M J Martinez-Zapata1, M Roqué, P Alonso-Coello
1Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Iberoamerican Cochrane Center, Service of Epidemiology, Sant Antoni M. Claret, 171, Barcelona, Spain 08041. mmartinezz@hsp.santpau.es
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|July 21, 2006
Summary
Calcitonin does not effectively manage metastatic bone pain or reduce bone complications. Limited evidence suggests it is not a recommended treatment for cancer patients experiencing bone pain.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pain Management
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Bone metastases are a common and painful complication of cancer.
- Pain intensity is often related to tumor site and bone destruction.
- Calcitonin is a hormone investigated for its potential analgesic and bone-preserving effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of calcitonin in alleviating metastatic bone pain.
- To determine if calcitonin reduces bone complications such as hypercalcemia, fractures, and nerve compression.
- To update previous reviews on calcitonin for bone metastases.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of randomized, double-blind clinical trials.
- Searches conducted across major databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane) up to 2005.
- Inclusion criteria focused on trials assessing pain at four weeks or longer.
Main Results:
- Two small studies (90 patients) were included; meta-analysis was not possible.
- Calcitonin showed no significant effect on total pain reduction or analgesic consumption.
- No evidence supported calcitonin's effectiveness in controlling bone metastases complications, improving quality of life, or survival.
Conclusions:
- Current limited evidence does not support calcitonin for managing pain from bone metastases.
- No new studies since the last review have provided additional supporting information.
- Other therapeutic approaches should be considered for bone metastases pain management.