A trial looking at radiotherapy or ibandronate for pain caused by breast cancer that has spread to the bone (RIB trial)

Cancer type:

Breast cancer

Status:

Results

Phase:

Phase 3

This trial compared ibandronate with radiotherapy as treatment for pain caused by breast cancer that has spread to the bone. This trial was supported by Cancer Research UK.

Breast cancer can sometimes spread to other areas of the body, including the bone. This is called secondary, or metastatic cancer. Cancer that has spread to the bone can cause pain. The standard treatment at the moment for this type of pain is a single dose of radiotherapy to the affected part of the bone.

There is a group of drugs called bisphosphonates that are also used to help with bone pain. One of these drugs is a drug called ibandronate.

The aim of this trial was to see if ibandronate is as good as radiotherapy at relieving the pain caused by secondary bone cancer.

Summary of results

When this trial started the research team planned to recruit patients with breast, lung and prostate cancer. But they recruited very few people with breast and lung cancer, so it continued as a prostate cancer trial. There won't be any results for breast or lung cancer, but there are some results for prostate cancer.

Recruitment start:

Recruitment end:

How to join a clinical trial

Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Chief Investigator

Prof Peter Hoskin

Supported by

Cancer Research UK
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
Roche
University College London (UCL)

Other information

This is Cancer Research UK trial number CRUK/02/011.

If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses

Freephone 0808 800 4040

Last review date

CRUK internal database number:

Oracle 12479

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Last reviewed:

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