Thousands of more men to get prostate cancer drug

Thousands of men suffering from prostate cancer are set to gain access to a life-extending drug on the NHS following a significant expansion of eligibility criteria.

- JANE KIRBY

Previously, the hormone therapy abiraterone, which functions by inhibiting testosterone production throughout the body, was only available to patients whose cancer had already spread. However, NHS England has now confirmed that men with high-risk prostate cancer that has not yet spread will also qualify for the treatment.

This crucial change means approximately 2,000 men diagnosed in the last quarter could receive the drug if clinically appropriate, with an additional 7,000 men expected to become eligible annually.

Clinical trials show that the proportion of men alive after six years on abiraterone is 86 per cent compared to 77 per cent on standard treatment (hormone therapy with or without radiotherapy).

Professor Nick James from the Institute of Cancer Research in London led the research that proved abiraterone is effective for men whose prostate cancer has not spread.

He said: “This extension of abiraterone to men with newly diagnosed high-risk prostate cancer that has not spread yet is really good news for men in England.