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  • Recently denosumab demonstrated a significant delay in the o

    2019-06-14

    Recently, denosumab demonstrated a significant delay in the onset of detectable bone lesions in men with castration resistant prostate cancer compared to placebo . This could indicate some kind of efficacy of the compound as anticancer agent and consequently an indirect confirmation of the role of RANKL in cancer progression. Currently, we are still far from fully understanding what really happens when disrupting the RANK/RANKL axis in the “real world” and at the same time we do not know which patients could benefit from this approach over and above the effects of denosumab as an anti-resorptive agent. Given the decrease in tumourigenesis observed in mice treated with RANKL blocking agents, we can speculate that denosumab may have a role in breast cancer prevention as well as in reducing tumour relapse after surgery. Finally, it has been demonstrated that tumour-infiltrating FoxP3+ lymphocytes and RANK expression by tumour polo like kinase are factors which limit the efficacy of neoadjuvant treatments in breast cancer . These results suggest that the use of denosumab in this particular setting might provide additional benefits to the patients. Elucidating these mechanisms more clearly will be an exciting challenge for translational research in bone oncology and could provide the opportunity to exploit RANK inhibition strategies both within and beyond the bone.
    Introduction Bone-targeted agents aimed at reducing osteoclastogenesis including bisphosphonates and denosumab are widely used in cancer patients. Their uses include; the treatment of osteoporosis, prevention of cancer-therapy induced bone loss, reducing the risk of skeletal related events, reducing pain, and improving quality of life in patients with metastatic disease [1]. In cancer patients these agents are administered systemically at high and frequent, often monthly, doses and for extended periods of time relative to their use in the treatment of osteoporosis. Despite this there is a paucity of data about the in vivo effect of these agents on bone homeostasis, bone quality, and polo like kinase microarchitecture in humans. This topic has gained increasing attention recently with the awareness of long term toxicities of bisphosphonates such as osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and atypical fractures.[2,3]. Traditionally bone strength has been viewed as an integration of bone quantity and bone quality [4]. Clinically, bone strength and susceptibility to fracture is based on bone mineral density (BMD) as reflected through dual energy X-ray absortiometry (DEXA) scans [5]. This, however, has only modest sensitivity/specificity [5,6], and only a small proportion of fracture risk reduction is actually explained by bone density increases [7,8]. Clinical and laboratory evidence suggest mechanical properties, in addition to BMD, play an important role in bone strength [9–11]. However, assessing bone quality requires invasive testing, traditionally with a 7–8mm “Bordier” trephine of transiliac bone [12]. The size of the needle poses two problems. First, it is uncomfortable and painful for the patient. Second, it is difficult technically in achieving an adequate sample in cancer patients on bone-targeted agents as anecdotally the procedure is more challenging than in patients with osteoporosis [13]. Previous data from cadavers has demonstrated that the 2mm trephine provides comparable results to a 7mm trephine [14]. A review of the literature revealed no studies comparing the two trephine sizes in living cancer patients. Given the widespread use of outpatient posterior iliac crest bone marrow biopsies in hematology and oncology using a 2mm Jamshidi needle, we wanted to see if this would allow a more practical, technically easier sampling amenable to routine screening of bone status in cancer patients.
    Methods
    Results Between January and July 2011 three patients consented and underwent outpatient biopsies. Patient number one and number two received two biopsies from separate areas of the posterior iliac crest. Patient three received a single biopsy. The demographic characteristics of each patient can be found in Table 1. Notably, all patients were post-menopausal, had metastatic disease, and two were on long-term bisphosphonate therapy.