Prostate Cancer 'Magic Pill' Breakthrough
6:51pm Monday October 11, 2010
Richard Williams
A potentially life-prolonging pill for men with aggressive prostate cancer could be available within a year, it has been revealed.
Trials of the drug were stopped early because those taking the pill were doing so well
Trial results for the revolutionary medicine are so promising that applications will now be made to market the drug worldwide. Aimed at those sufferers for whom current treatments are not working, the abiraterone acetate drug will offer new hope to men with advanced prostate cancer.
A phase III trial - the last hurdle before a drug reaches the market - was halted early on ethical grounds. Those conducting the tests said it had become clear patients treated with the pill were doing much better than those given a placebo "dummy" drug. Risk of death was reduced by 35% in men receiving abiraterone while survival was increased by 36% from a midpoint of 10.9 to 14.8 months.
This is extremely exciting because men with this aggressive type of prostate cancer currently have very few treatment options and a poor prognosis.
<cite> Study leader Dr Johan de Bono, the Institute of Cancer Research
</cite> The results suggested the lives of some patients could be prolonged significantly further. Study leader Dr Johan de Bono, from the Institute of Cancer Research based in London and Surrey, said: "This is extremely exciting because men with this aggressive type of prostate cancer currently have very few treatment options and a poor prognosis.
"Around one man in the UK dies every hour from this disease, so the news that abiraterone acetate may extend survival with manageable side-effects will be incredibly important to men with prostate cancer and their families." Results from the trial have been presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Milan, Italy.
A total of 1,195 patients from 13 countries took part in the study, with ages ranging from 40 to 75. All had advanced prostate cancer which had spread and was still progressing despite hormone and chemotherapy treatments.
