Can bisphosphonates improve outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma?

Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that bisphosphonates have anticancer activities both within and outside bone. Early clinical trials of bisphosphonates provided evidence for antimyeloma effects in exploratory analyses in high-risk subsets, and recent trials of zoledronic acid (ZOL) have provided further support of antimyeloma activity. The MRC Myeloma IX trial is an innovative 2x2 factorial trial comparing ZOL and clodronate (CLO) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma receiving either intensive or non-intensive therapy regimens. Results showed that ZOL significantly reduced skeletal morbidity and significantly improved both progression-free and overall survival versus CLO. Notably, the survival benefit with ZOL remained significant after adjustment for skeletal-related events, consistent with clinically meaningful antimyeloma activity. Further analyses of these data will provide greater insight into ZOL interactions with primary treatment regimens for multiple myeloma. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.