LONDON (AFP) — Prostate cancer sufferers received a boost on Tuesday after scientists claimed that a new drug could be the most important development in the treatment of the disease for 70 years.
Early trials of the drug, abiraterone, have been very encouraging with some patients seeing their tumours shrink while others were able to stop taking morphine for pain relief.
The advanced form of the cancer, which is almost always deadly, is the most common amongst men, killing 12,000 in the UK every year.
It is known that testosterone fuels the cancer, but previous treatment methods of cutting the hormone's production have been of limited success as the tumour can create its own.
However, the new drug blocks production of the hormone from all parts of the body.
Dr Johann de Bono, lead researcher of trials that began at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, said the treatment is "spectacularly active ... we believe we have made a major step forward in treating patients who have failed all other treatments.
"We have patients still in the trial who started in December 2005 and are still doing well two and a half years later. This is very unusual," he added.
Independent experts warned patients not to get too optimistic until the full risks and benefits have been assessed after more years of trials.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
