Men with bone metastases from prostate who took bisphosphonates or control regimens experienced similar responses to pain, according to a Cochrane review of 18 clinical trials. The reviews found that bisphosphonates:

• Provided no clinically relevant difference in pain response vs placebo or no additional treatment, based on low quality evidence.
• Reduced pain in 40 more men/1,000.
• Appear to result in 58 fewer skeletal-related events/1,000.
• Showed no clear difference in the number of men who died or took fewer pain killers.
• Probably increased the number of men with nausea, based on moderate quality evidence.
• Probably increased the number of men with kidney problems, based on moderate quality evidence.
• Showed no clear difference in patients who experienced osteonecrosis of the jaw, based on very low quality evidence.
• Probably decreased the number of men affected by disease progression, according to moderate quality evidence.