Therapeutic opportunities for castration-resistant prostate cancer patients with bone metastases

Patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer are burdened not only with an unavoidable risk of mortality but also by severe mobility issues. This disease has a high tendency to induce bone metastases with concomitant general suffering, impaired mobility, and reduced self-sufficiency. The treatment of bone pain consists of opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, radiopharmaceuticals, and radiotherapy. To date, abiraterone, enzalutamide, zoledronate and denosumab are the only drugs able to delay skeletal events, and docetaxel is the only chemotherapeutic agent able to prolong survival after castration progression. Recently, 5 new drugs have proven to be efficacious in prolonging survival. Sipuleucel-T, cabazitaxel, abiraterone, enzalutamide, and radium-223 have broadened the therapeutic choices, thus changing the clinical paradigm. This review analyzes the data supporting the use of all presently available therapeutic approaches for the management of pain, skeletal events, and survival in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients with bone metastases. Data based on phase 3 trials could identify new approaches depending on patient, disease, and therapy characteristics.