Urinary biomarkers in metastatic bone pain: Results from a multicentre randomized trial of ibandronate compared to single dose radiotherapy for localized metastatic bone pain in prostate cancer (RIB)

Background

The Radiotherapy IBandronate (RIB) trial compared single dose radiotherapy and a single infusion of ibandronate in 470 bisphosphonate naïve patients with metastatic bone pain from prostate cancer randomised into a non-inferiority two arm study. Results for the primary endpoint of pain score response at 4 weeks showed that the ibandronate arm was non-inferior to single dose radiotherapy.

Patients and method

In addition to pain assessments including analgesic use made at baseline, 4, 8, 12, 26 and 52 weeks, urine was collected at baseline, 4 and 12 weeks. It was subsequently analysed for urinary N-telopeptide (NTx) and cystatin C. Linear regression models were used to compare the continuous outcome measures for urinary markers within treatment arms and baseline measurements were included as covariates. Interaction terms were fitted to allow for cross-treatment group comparisons.

Results

The primary endpoint of the RIB trial was worst pain response at 4 weeks and there was no treatment difference seen. Urine samples and paired pain scores at 4 weeks were available for 273 patients (radiotherapy 168; ibandronate 159)

The baseline samples measured for the RIB trial had an average concentration of 193 nM BCE/mM creatinine (range of 7.3–1871) compared to the quoted normal range of 33 nM BCE/mM creatinine (3 to 63). In contrast the average value of Cystatin C was 66 ng/ml (ranges ND – 1120 ng/ml) compared to the quoted normal range of 62.9 ng/ml (ranges 12.6–188 ng/ml). A statistically significant reduction in NTx concentrations between baseline and 4 weeks was seen in the ibandronate arm but not in the radiotherapy arm. No correlation between pain response and urinary marker concentration was seen in either the ibandronate or radiotherapy cohort at any time point.

Conclusion

NTx was significantly raised compared to the normal range consistent with a role as a biomarker for bone metastases from prostate cancer. A significant reduction in NTx 4 weeks after ibandronate is consistent with its action in osteoclast inhibition which was not seen after radiotherapy implying a different mode of action for radiation. There was no correlation between bone biomarker levels and pain response.