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Evidence summaries

Calcitonin for Metastatic Bone Pain

Calcitonin may not be effective in controlling complications due to bone metastases. Level of evidence: "C"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 2 small studies. One study showed a non-significant effect of calcitonin in the number of patients with total pain reduction (RR 2.50; CI 95%, 0.55 to 11.41). The second study provided no evidence that calcitonin reduced analgesia consumption (RR 1.05; CI 95%, 0.90 to 1.21) in patients with painful bone metastases. There was no evidence that calcitonin was effective in controlling complications due to bone metastases; for improving quality of life; or patients' survival. Although not statistically significant, a greater number of adverse effects were observed in the groups given calcitonin in the two included studies (RR 3.35, CI 95%, 0.72 to 15.66).

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality (inadequate or unclear allocation concealment) and by imprecise results (few patients and wide confidence intervals).

    References

    • Martinez-Zapata MJ, Roqué M, Alonso-Coello P, Català E. Calcitonin for metastatic bone pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006 Jul 19;3:CD003223 (Last assessed as up-to-date: 25 October 2011). [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords