Side effects of incardronate disodium compared to pamidronate disodium in the treatment of bone metastasis pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Introduction
Bone metastasis is a common complication in patients with advanced malignancies, especially in lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (1). Some previous studies (2) have shown that the incidence of bone metastasis in late-stage breast cancer is as high as 65–75%, while the incidence of bone metastasis in patients with lung cancer reaches 30–40%. After the occurrence of bone metastasis, patients present with a series of osteolytic diseases, which can lead to bone pain, fracture, functional disorders, hypercalcemia, and other symptoms. The most typical symptom is stubborn pain, which seriously impacts the quality of life of patients (3). Clinically, it is necessary to actively control bone metastasis pain. In addition to surgery, chemoradiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted drugs, and other treatments for the primary tumor, bisphosphates have been found to be effective for treating bone metastasis pain (4). Incardronate disodium belongs to the 3rd generation of bisphosphonates, which was one kind of incadronate acid, initially developed in 1997 and marketed in Japan. The antiresorptive strength of incardronate disodium is 1,000 times that of the 1st generation bisphosphonate, chlordronate, it has been shown in some studies to be long acting, rapid, and an efficient bone resorption inhibitor, with fewer toxic side effects compared with other bisphosphonates used in the treatment of osteoporosis, deformable osteoarthritis, hypercalcemia and bone pain caused by bone metastasis of malignant tumor (not including primary bone cancer itself) (5). A study (6) has reported the side effects between other kinds of third-generation (zoledronic acid) and second-generation bisphosphate (pamidronate disodium) in the treatment of bone metastasis pain, however, there is a lack of systematic evaluation of the effectiveness and side effects compare between incardronate and pamidronate disodium. This study analyzed the utility and safety of incardronate disodium to provide a basis for clinical practice.
We present the following article in accordance with the PRISMA reporting checklist (available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/apm-21-3056).
Methods
Criteria for inclusion of literature in the study
Literature type
The literature included in this study involved randomized controlled trials (RCTs), single-center and multi-center trials, and unlimited publication language. Controlled clinical trials (quasi-RCTs) and non-randomized concurrent controlled trials were excluded.
Participants
As humans were the research object of the literature search, studies involving rabbits, dogs, or rats were excluded. The selected patients had bone metastases from malignant tumors, confirmed by pathology and cytology, and the primary malignant tumor (breast cancer, intestinal cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, etc.) was irrelevant. Patients were not in a chemotherapy or radiotherapy cycle and were expected to have a life expectancy of >6 months. The imaging examination showed bone metastases and was accompanied by a moderate or higher pain score based on a numeric rating scale (NRS). There was no loss of heart, liver, kidney, or other major organ function during treatment.
Description of intervention
At least two groups of intervention methods for pain were required, including an experimental group using incardronate disodium and a control group using pamidronate disodium. Treatment and observation time were more than 3 weeks.
Outcome indicators
Primary outcome indicators included degree of pain reduction or effective rate of pain treatment, and adverse reaction rate.
Secondary outcome indicators were improvement in quality of life, serum calcium level, and serum phosphorus level.
Search strategy and literature identification
Search databases included PubMed (2000 to August 2021), EMBASE (2000 to August 2021), the Cochrane library (August 2021), and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, 2000 to August 2021). The input keywords were: (incardronate/YM175) AND (pamidronate/pamidronic) OR (Bisphosphonate) OR (bone metastases).
Literature screening and data extraction
Once the literature had been retrieved, Endnote X9 software was used for data management. After duplicates were excluded using the software’s de-duplication function, two researchers independently completed the screening of included studies. Ineligible studies were identified and excluded by reading the title and abstract. After obtaining the original text and data, the remaining studies were further screened. If there was a conflict of opinion between the two researchers, a 3rd researcher was consulted to resolve the difference of opinion.
Two researchers independently extracted data including:
- Basic information of literature: title, author, contact address, name of publication, and publication date;
- Basic characteristics of study: total number of samples, number of groups, and number of samples in each group;
- Basic characteristics of the participants: age of participants, gender, type of primary tumor, grade of bone pain, and presence of hypercalcemia;
- Characteristics of intervention: different intervention methods used in the experimental group and the control group;
- Results evaluation: degree of pain relief, quality of life, and type and number of adverse reactions.
Literature bias and evaluation analysis
The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions was used to assess the risk of bias for RCT studies, with high, low, or unclear indicating the risk of each dimension. We ranked an RCT “Level A” quality if all six aspects of the intervention were assessed with low risk of bias; If there was one or more “unclear risk of bias”, it was ranked with Level B quality; If there was one or more “high risk of bias”, it was ranked with Level C quality.
Handling of data loss
If a study did not include data but there was an access link provided, the data were obtained using the link. If there was no data at all, the original author was contacted to obtain the data, and if the data could not be obtained, the study was excluded.
Statistical analysis
Effect measurement
Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess binary variables (pain response rate and incidence of adverse reactions). P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
Synthetic analysis tools and heterogeneity detection
Stata 16.0 software was used for analysis, and forest plot was used to present the results of analysis. I2 and Q tests were used to analyze the heterogeneity of literature. I2>50% or P<0.1 indicated statistically significant heterogeneity.
Analysis of publication bias
Funnel plots were used to represent publication bias.
Heterogeneity survey and sensitivity analysis
The labbe function provided by Stata 16.0 was used to investigate heterogeneity, and the influence analysis tool was used for sensitivity analysis.
Results
Literature search results and screening process
The initial literature search identified 130 documents. After de-duplication and screening, a total of seven articles were included in the meta-analysis. Figure 1 shows the literature search results and screening process.
Basic characteristics of the included literature
The seven studies included in the meta-analysis involved a total of 510 patients (Table 1).
Table 1
Author | Year | Condition treated | Number of cases (E/C) | Mean age (years) | Intervention group (incardronate group) | Control group (pamidronate disodium group) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dose and course of treatment | Adverse reactions | Dose and course of treatment | Adverse reactions | ||||||
Oura S et al. (7) | 2000 | Breast cancer bone metastasis pain to patient | 11/13 | 53 [34–76] | 10 mg intravenous injection per 2 weeks | 15 cases. Hypophosphatemia, fever, increased pain, fatigue, vomiting | 30 mg intravenous injection per 2 weeks | 10 cases. Hypophosphatemia, fever, increased pain, fatigue, vomiting | |
Fu Q et al. (8) | 2007 | Patients with malignant tumor and bone metastasis pain | 106/106 | 54 [18–75] | Single administration 10 mg, intravenous drip for 2–4 hours | 28 cases. Fever, vomiting, abnormal urea nitrogen | Single administration 90 mg, intravenous drip for 2–4 hours | 49 cases. Fever, abnormal serum phosphorus, abnormal liver function | |
Feng Y (9) | 2011 | Patients with malignant tumor and bone metastasis pain | 30/30 | 59.2 [30–78] | Single administration 10 mg, intravenous drip for 6 hours | 0 cases. No adverse effects | Single administration 60–90 mg, intravenous drip for 6 hours | 4 cases. All patients had fever | |
Mo C et al. (10) | 2011 | Patients with malignant tumor and bone metastasis pain | 28/30 | 53 [37–78] | 10 mg intravenous drip for 2 hours once per 4 weeks | 9 cases. Fever | 90 mg IVGTT for 3 hours once per 4 weeks | 13 cases. Fever | |
Qin FZ et al. (11) | 2003 | Patients with malignant tumor and bone metastasis pain | 15/16 | 18–75 | Single administration 10 mg, intravenous drip for 6 hours | 3 cases. All were febrile | Single administration 60–90 mg, intravenous drip for 6 hours | 9 cases. All were febrile | |
Liu ZH et al. (12) | 2014 | Malignant tumor with bone metastasis and hypercalcemia | 40/40 | 58 [30–75] | Single administration 10 mg, intravenous drip for 6 hours | 0 cases | Single administration 80 mg, intravenous drip for 6 hours | 6 cases. All were febrile | |
Wang L et al. (13) | 2003 | Patients with malignant tumor and bone metastasis pain | 23/20 | 18–75 | Single administration 10 mg, intravenous drip for 2 hours | 11 cases. Fever | Single administration 90 mg, intravenous drip for 3 hours | 15 cases. Fever, liver function abnormal, serum phosphorus abnormal |
NA, not available.
Risk assessment of bias of included literature
The risk of bias was assessed based on Cochrane (Table 2). One study (8) referred to grouping according to order (not random). The other studies did not mention grouping randomization or provide a specific random sequence generation method. None of the studies mentioned allocation concealment or blind methods. However, most set observation nodes and provided detailed descriptions for drop-out cases. No selective reporting or other bias was found.
Table 2
Study | Random sequence generation | Classification hiding | Blind method | Data integrity | Optional reporting | Other bias | Quality |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oura S et al. (7) | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Low | Low | Low | Level B |
Fu Q et al. (8) | High | Unclear | Unclear | Low | Low | Low | Level C |
Feng Y (9) | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Low | Low | Low | Level B |
Mo C et al. (10) | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Low | Low | Low | Level B |
Qin FZ et al. (11) | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Low | Low | Low | Level B |
Liu ZH et al. (12) | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Low | Low | Level B |
Wang L et al. (13) | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Low | Low | Low | Level B |
Comparison of the therapeutic efficacy of incardronate and pamidronate disodium
All studies reported an effectiveness rate, including 253 patients treated with incardronate disodium and 255 patients treated with pamidronate disodium. As shown in Figure 2, meta-analysis revealed that there was no significant difference between incardronate and pamidronate disodium in effectiveness rate in the treatment of bone metastasis pain (OR =1.03, 95% CI: 0.78–1.34, Z=0.188, P=0.851).
Comparison of fever side effects of the 2 drugs
All studies reported febrile adverse reactions during treatment. The combined analysis results showed that the incidence rate of febrile adverse reactions from incardronate disodium was significantly lower than pamidronate disodium (OR =0.58, 95% CI: 0.39–0.86, Z=−2.727, P=0.006) (Figure 3).
Comparison of total adverse reactions of the two drugs
All studies reported the number of adverse reactions during treatment. The combined analysis results showed that the total incidence rate of adverse reactions from incardronate disodium was significantly lower than pamidronate disodium (OR =0.58, 95% CI: 0.40–0.85, Z=−2.851, P=0.004) (Figure 4).
Heterogeneity investigation
The Labbe plot showed there was no significant heterogeneity among the studies (Figure 5).
Sensitivity analysis
Sensitivity analysis showed that the seven studies had similar distribution on both sides and good stability, as shown in Figure 6.
Analysis of publication bias
The funnel plot showed that the left and right distributions of the 7 articles were basically symmetrical, without significant publication bias (Figure 7).
Discussion
Bone metastasis refers to the metastasis of the primary tumor into bone tissue through the bloodstream and lymph system, leading to dissolved or damaged bone tissue. Cancer cells can directly destroy the mineralized matrix of the bone structure by stimulating osteolysis (14,15). Inhibition of bone destruction and reduction of bone pain are the basis for improving the quality of life of patients with advanced bone metastases. At present, there are many treatment methods for bone metastasis pain. Analgesics, chemoradiotherapy, hormone therapy, and other measures can reduce bone destruction and reduce pain. However, chemoradiotherapy alone can only produce local efficacy and cannot be used for the treatment of patients with systemic bone metastasis, while chemoradiotherapy can cause considerable adverse reactions (16). In recent years, the application of double silicates has brought new treatment methods to patients with multiple bone metastasis pain. The therapeutic principle is that they are directly absorbed to act on bone tissue, inhibit the activity of osteoclasts, slow down the destruction of bone structure, treat osteolysis associated with osteoclasts, and influence tumor-induced melting, osteoblastic, and mixed bone destruction (17,18). In the study by Saad et al. (19), zoledronic acid was used in the treatment of advanced bone metastasis in patients with prostate cancer, resulting in good long-term results. Pamidronate disodium is a second-generation bisphosphonate drug, and its efficacy has been affirmed in numerous clinical studies (20). In this study, 253 patients were treated with incardronate disodium and 255 patients were treated with pamidronate disodium. Meta-analysis showed that there was no statistical difference in the effectiveness of the two drugs, implying that incardronate had similar efficacy to pamidronate disodium. Incardronate, a third-generation bisphosphate, can bind directly to bone matrix physicochemical properties, interfere with osteolysis and absorption, and prevent the adhesion of osteoclasts in bone tissue. Additionally, incardronate disodium can reduce the differentiation and proliferation of osteoclasts, induce their apoptosis, inhibit their number and activity, and impede the invasion of tumor cells, thereby reducing their colonization in bone tissue and controlling the spread of bone metastases (21).
All of the studies in this review reported the incidence of adverse reactions from the two drugs, with the combined effect size showing that the fever rate and total adverse reaction rate of incardronate disodium was less than pamidronate disodium. The main adverse reaction of treatment with incardronate disodium was fever (8,10), which was relieved after antipyretic drug intervention. A small number of patients experienced nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and abnormal urea nitrogen, but there was no abnormal liver function or nephrotoxicity reported, indicating the safety of incardronate. The study (11) pointed out the incidence of other adverse reactions, such as fatigue and skeletal muscle pain is much lower, most of which occur 2–3 days after medication and can be relieved automatically or after some symptomatic treatment, and the molecular structure of incardronate makes it easier to be absorbed and can prevent the release of inflammatory mediators.
At present, the most commonly used bisphosphonates in clinical practice include pamidronate disodium, ibandronate sodium, zoledronic acid and incardronate disodium. Among them, ibandronate sodium, zoledronic acid and incardronate sodium belong to the third generation bisphosphonates. Studies (22,23) have compared the therapeutic effects of incadronate disodium with other third generation bisphosphonates, the results of which showed that the 14 days efficacy of incadronate disodium was up to 90.0%, and most of the patients had good tolerance, no obvious adverse reactions, the safety and efficacy were better than other drugs. However, one study (24) compared the costs of ibandronate, zoledronic acid and incardronate disodium and found that the costs of the three drugs are sorted with zoledronic acid < ibandronate sodium < incadronate disodium at conventional doses. Therefore, zoledronic acid is still the main drug in clinical application.
In this study, the Labbe plot for heterogeneity showed that the literature was evenly distributed, as did the sensitivity analysis diagram, indicating that there was no significant heterogeneity between the studies. However, most of the studies did not mention the random sequence generation method, allocation concealment method or blind method, and thus the quality of the literature may bias the application of the results. In addition, the sample sizes of the included studies were small. Further controlled clinical studies with larger sample sizes and multiple centers are needed to provide stronger evidence for the efficacy and safety of incardronate compared to pamidronate disodium.
Conclusions
In summary, the application of incardronate for treating bone metastasis pain produced efficacy equivalent to the second-generation bisphosphonate pamidronate disodium, but incardronate had far fewer adverse reactions than pamidronate disodium. As the sample size of this study was small, more RCTs of better quality should be included in future reviews to continue exploring the safety of incardronate.
Acknowledgments
Funding: None.
Footnote
Reporting Checklist: The authors have completed the PRISMA reporting checklist. Available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/apm-21-3056
Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/apm-21-3056). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
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(English Language Editor: A. Muijlwijk)