223Ra-dichloride response in a patient with Paget disease and bone metastases secondary to castration-resistant prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Paget disease is commonly asymptomatic and discovered when an imaging test is performed for another clinical indication or when elevated serum alkaline phosphatase is found. Bone pain usually appears late in the disease process and is only present in a minority of patients. For diagnosis, X-ray and bone scan are the most recommended imaging methods; radionuclide imaging of the skeleton has become the standard, since it is the most sensitive test for detecting increased bone activity. For treatment, either bisphosphonates or calcitonin are recommended. METHODS: We present a 74-year-old patient diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 who developed bone metastases concomitant with a Paget bone disease. RESULTS: This patient received treatment with Ra-223, having stable disease in bone scan and no relevant toxicities. CONCLUSIONS: There is no clinical experience with Ra-223 and Paget disease, since it is characterized classically as a high bone turnover disease and therefore there is no rationale to administer a drug that has a high bone affinity. Nevertheless, Ra-223 is not contraindicated.

A randomized clinical trial comparing oral alendronate and intravenous pamidronate for the treatment of Paget's disease of bone.

Second and third generation bisphosphonates are the treatment of choice for Paget's disease of bone. These drugs are more effective than calcitonin and etidronate, but there have been no head to head, randomized controlled trials comparing potent bisphosphonates. We conducted a 2-year, randomized, open-label trial comparing oral alendronate and intravenous pamidronate in 72 subjects with Paget's disease. Randomization was stratified according to baseline plasma total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and previous bisphosphonate treatment (yes or no). All previously treated patients had received pamidronate but not alendronate. Assigned treatments were pamidronate (60 mg) every 3 months as a single infusion or alendronate (40 mg) daily in 3-month blocks, continued until biochemical remission (defined as both ALP and urine deoxypyridinoline (DPD)/creatinine ratio in the reference range) or a clear plateau effect was observed. At 1 year, nonresponders to pamidronate were crossed over to alendronate treatment. At 1 year, 31/36 (86%) subjects randomized to alendronate achieved biochemical remission compared with 21/36 (56%) for pamidronate (P = 0.017). There was a significantly greater reduction in ALP (P < 0.001) and DPD/creatinine ratio (P < 0.001) for alendronate compared with pamidronate treatment. In previously untreated patients, alendronate resulted in remission in 20/22 (91%) subjects compared with 19/22 (86%) of pamidronate-treated subjects, which was not significantly different; however, alendronate resulted in a significantly greater reduction in ALP (P = 0.014) and DPD/creatinine ratio (P < 0.001). In previously treated patients, alendronate resulted in remission in 11/14 (79%) subjects compared with 2/14 (14%) for pamidronate (P < 0.001), with a significantly (P < 0.001) greater reduction in both ALP and DPD/creatinine ratio. Of subjects crossed over from pamidronate to alendronate, 10/14 (71%) achieved remission, including 9/11 (82%) previously treated patients. We conclude that, in patients with previously untreated Paget's disease of bone, alendronate and pamidronate have similar efficacy in achieving biochemical remission. In patients previously treated with pamidronate, alendronate is more effective.

Samarium-153-EDTMP for palliation of ankylosing spondylitis, Paget's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Samarium-153-EDTMP is an effective agent for palliation of widespread skeletal metastases because it concentrates in bone metastases which have an osteoblastic component. Similar concentration in areas of osteoblastic activity in ankylosing spondylitis, Paget's disease and rheumatoid arthritis suggests a possible new treatment approach. Three patients with ankylosing spondylitis, one patient with Paget's disease and one patient with rheumatoid arthritis were treated with 153Sm-EDTMP. Objective and subjective improvement was noted, especially in ankylosing spondylitis patients. Samarium-153-EDTMP has disease-modifying potential in ankylosing spondylitis and Paget's disease and has palliative value in resistant rheumatoid arthritis. Further trials to determine optimal dose, treatment scheduling, long-term disease-modifying potential and toxicity are needed.

Osteogenic sarcoma of the skull. A clinicopathologic study of 19 patients.

The authors studied 19 patients with well documented osteogenic sarcomas arising in the skull, which represent 1.6% of all osteogenic sarcomas registered during a 60-year period (1921-1981). Ten sarcomas were primary, de novo tumors. Nine others developed secondary osteogenic sarcomas; among these, six arose as a complication of Paget's disease, two followed irradiation, and one was associated with pre-existent fibrous dysplasia. The sarcomas arose in equal proportion in both sexes with the men being much older (mean age, 44 years) as compared to the women (mean age, 31 years). Patients with de novo osteogenic sarcomas were considerably younger than those with secondary lesions. Osteoblastic osteogenic sarcoma was by far the most common histologic variant in both the primary and the Paget's sarcomas. None of the patients with Paget's sarcoma lived longer than 1 year; the median survival here was 4 months. Patients with de novo osteogenic sarcomas fared much better and there are four long-term survivors (longer than 3 years) who are currently disease-free.