Pain and health-related quality of life in patients with advanced solid tumours and bone metastases: integrated results from three randomized, double-blind studies of denosumab and zoledronic acid

Purpose

This analysis evaluated patient-reported outcomes and analgesic use in patients with bone metastases from solid tumours across three comparative studies of denosumab and zoledronic acid.

Methods

Pooled data were analysed from three identically designed double-blind phase III studies comparing subcutaneous denosumab 120 mg with intravenous zoledronic acid 4 mg monthly in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer (n?=?2,046), castration-resistant prostate cancer (n?=?1,901) or other solid tumours (n?=?1,597). Pain severity, pain interference, health-related quality of life and analgesic use were quantified.

Results

At baseline, approximately half of patients had no/mild pain (53 % 1,386/2,620] denosumab; 50 % 1,297/2,578] zoledronic acid). Denosumab delayed onset of moderate/severe pain by 1.8 months (median, 6.5 vs 4.7 months; hazard ratio, 0.83; 95 % CI, 0.76–0.92; p?<?0.001; 17 % risk reduction) and clinically meaningful increases in overall pain interference by 2.6 months (median, 10.3 vs 7.7 months; hazard ratio, 0.83; 95 % CI, 0.75–0.92; p?<?0.001; 17 % risk reduction) compared with zoledronic acid. Strong opioid use and worsening of health-related quality of life were less common with denosumab.

Conclusions

Across three large studies of patients with advanced solid tumours and bone metastases, denosumab prevented progression of pain severity and pain interference more effectively than zoledronic acid.