Latest news with #abiraterone
Telegraph
30-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Give prostate cancer patients drug that halves risk of death, NHS told
Men with aggressive prostate cancer should be given a drug that halves their risk of death, experts have urged the NHS. British scientists have used AI to identify which men could most benefit from a treatment which is currently denied by the NHS in England. Researchers found that one in four men with high-risk prostate cancer, which has not yet spread, could see their risk of death halved if they were given the hormone treatment abiraterone. The rest could be spared such treatment, which can cause distressing side effects including loss of libido, as well as fatigue and weakness. The drug is routinely offered to men in Scotland and Wales with newly diagnosed high-risk prostate cancer which has not yet spread. However, the NHS refuses to fund it in England, even though it costs just £2.75 a day. As a result, around 8,400 men a year are denied the drug, which is only given to some men with advanced disease. Prostate cancer in numbers The new study shows just how powerful the drug can be if targeted at the right candidates, in conjunction with standard therapy - cutting deaths by half among those with aggressive disease, while slashing the cost to the NHS. Experts said the findings from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and University College London (UCL) should prompt NHS officials to review the funding of the drug. The results will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting [MUST KEEP] which opens in Chicago on Friday. Abiraterone, discovered in the UK at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), works by inhibiting the production of testosterone in all tissues throughout the body, including in the tumour. The new test, developed by Artera Inc,. uses artificial intelligence to study images of tumour samples and pick out features that are invisible to the human eye. It was tested on biopsy images from more than 1,000 men with prostate cancer who were taking part in a major trial. Men were given a score depending on whether their disease was fuelled by male hormones known as androgens. In cases which were fuelled by the hormones - which makes the disease more aggressive - giving men abiraterone cut the risk of death after five years from 17 per cent to 9 per cent. Prostate cancer cases and rates In cases which were not, the risk went from 7 to 4 per cent among those given the drug, which experts said was not statistically or clinically significant. Such men would benefit from standard treatment, which would spare them the side effects which come with abiraterone, experts said. The current research received funding from Artera Inc., UK MRC and Prostate Cancer UK. Professor Nick James, Professor of Prostate and Bladder Cancer Research at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, who co-led the study said that the drug had already been found to have 'spectacular results' for many men. He said the new findings allowed the treatment to be far more narrowly targeted, to pick out those who would respond best, and spare others from side effects. The Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust said access to the life extending drug was currently 'a postcode lottery' despite the fact the drug costs just £2.75 a day. He urged NHS England to fund the drugs. Professor Kristian Helin, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, said: 'Abiraterone has been a game changer for treatment of prostate cancer, and I'm proud of the ICR's role in discovering and testing this drug which has extended the lives of so many men. 'Alongside our mission to find smarter, kinder treatments, we must ensure we are matching the right drugs to the right patients. This research, using artificial intelligence, provides an innovative route to testing prostate cancer patients to determine their treatment. I hope that this can be implemented so that all men with prostate cancer who will benefit from abiraterone can do so.' Study co-leader Professor Gert Attard, at the UCL Cancer Institute said advanced and aggressive prostate cancer could take a 'highly variable' path, with the new evidence showing how algorithms could extract information from routinely available pathology slides to tailor these treatments to specific patients. Dr Matthew Hobbs, Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'Prostate Cancer UK has been calling on the UK Government to approve this life-saving, cost-effective drug for over two years. These exciting results suggest a way to make this an even more cost-effective approach. We therefore echo the researchers' urgent call for abiraterone to be made available to those men whose lives it can save – men who, thanks to this research, we can now identify more precisely than ever before.' 'Treatment has cost me £20,000 so far' Giles Turner, 64, who lives in Brighton, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2023. He has been taking abiraterone for almost two years and has spent £20,000 on his treatment so far. He said: 'This is great research and adds even more reason for NHS England to start funding this treatment now. 'I find it very difficult to come to terms with having to pay for this treatment whereas if I was with the NHS in Scotland or Wales I would not. 'Even more importantly are the thousands of men in England who are missing out on this cheap, life-saving and cost-saving drug. Action must be taken by NHS England and DHSC right now.'
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
AI test could help to cut the risk of dying from prostate cancer by half, study suggests
A revolutionary AI test can help slash the risk of dying from prostate cancer by up to half, a breakthrough study suggests. From examining images of tumours it was able to identify patients who could benefit from a 'game-changer' drug by picking out features invisible to the human eye. Around one in four men with 'high-risk' prostate cancer were found to have a particular biomarker that made them more receptive to the treatment. Among those with the biomarker, taking the drug abiraterone alongside standard hormone therapy cut the risk of death after five years from 17 per cent to 9 per cent – a reduction of 47 per cent. Men without the biomarker saw their risk of death drop from 7 per cent to 4 per cent – which is not thought to be statistically or clinically significant. Abiraterone, which costs just £77 for a month's supply since the patent expired, works by inhibiting the production of testosterone in all tissues throughout the body, including in the tumour. Researchers say NHS England should now make the drug available to the 2,100 men a year who could benefit, while sparing others a treatment that comes with additional side-effects. It is approved for use on the NHS in England for patients with advanced prostate cancer that has come back and spread to other parts of the body, but not for the 8,400 men a year with newly diagnosed high-risk prostate cancer that has not spread. Experts say because fewer men than previously thought will need the drug, NHS England should review the decision not to fund the treatment for those who could benefit earlier. It has been more widely available to men in Scotland and Wales for two years. Scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), in London, and University College London examined data from more than 1,000 men whose tumours were at high risk of spreading. The findings, based on a test developed by Artera Inc, will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago. The Mail has campaigned for years to improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer in a bid to prevent needless deaths. Professor Nick James, who co-led the research at the ICR, said: 'I truly hope this new research – showing precisely who needs the drug to live well for longer – will lead to NHS England reviewing their decision to fund abiraterone for high-risk prostate cancer that has not spread.' An NHS spokesman said: 'Abiraterone continues to be routinely funded by the NHS in England for several forms of advanced prostate cancer in line with clinical guidance, and we are keeping this position under close review.' Meanwhile, lung cancer patients will be offered a new blood test to speed up access to targeted treatments and avoid unnecessary biopsies. The 'liquid biopsy' looks for tiny fragments of tumour DNA and detects mutations. About 15,000 patients a year will benefit, NHS England says.
The Sun
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
‘Game changing' prostate cancer drug that ‘HALVES death risk must be given to thousands more men on the NHS'
THOUSANDS more men should receive an existing prostate cancer drug on the NHS as research shows it could halve their death risk. Scientists say abiraterone could help many more blokes than are currently eligible to receive it under an NHS"postcode lottery". 1 The Institute for Cancer Research in London used artificial intelligence tool to detect biomarkers invisible to the human eye to work out who would benefit. The study found it would benefit one in four patients with high-risk prostate tumours that have not yet spread, equal to around 2,000 men per year in England. They are currently denied access to the drug because health chiefs do not believe it to be cost-effective, although it is available in Scotland and Wales, and for other tumour types in England. It comes after The Sun on Sunday revealed some blokes are paying for their own treatment. Keith ter Braak, 82, from Somerset, said he forks out thousands of pounds per year to buy drugs privately, adding: "Abiraterone keeps me alive. I don't know whether my bank account or my health will last longer." Study leader Professor Nick James, from the ICR, said: "I truly hope that this new research will lead to NHS England reviewing their decision to fund abiraterone for high-risk prostate cancer that has not spread. "Access is currently a postcode lottery, with those living in Scotland and Wales able to receive the treatment for free but the NHS in England deciding it is too expensive. "Since the patent expired in 2022, abiraterone costs just £77 per pack. "My team has shown that preventing cancer relapses for these men would save more money than the drug costs to purchase." Prof James' new study, presented at the conference of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, found that men with a certain tumour biomarker saw their risk of dying within five years slashed from 17 per cent to nine per cent. How to check your prostate cancer risk Three out of four patients did not have the biomarker and saw no significant risk reduction, so would not benefit. Targeting abiraterone specifically at the men identified by the algorithm could save the NHS 75 per cent of its assumed prescription cost. Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "We have been calling on the Government to approve this life-saving, cost-effective drug for over two years. "These exciting results suggest a way to make this an even more cost-effective approach. "We echo the researchers' urgent call for abiraterone to be made available to those men whose lives it can save." Prof Kristian Helin, chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, said the drug has been a "game changer for treatment of prostate cancer". Prostate cancer is the most common form of the disease in men, with 55,000 new cases every year in the UK, and famous patients including former US President Joe Biden, actor Stephen Fry and Olympic cycling legend Chris Hoy. The risk of developing prostate cancer depends on many factors, here are some of the facts about the disease and how many men it affects. One in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime It is the fourth most common cancer worldwide, and the most common in men There are 55,000 new cases every year in the UK, and 1.4million globally Around 12,000 people lose their lives to prostate cancer annually in the UK and almost 400,000 around the world Prostate cancer accounts for 28 per cent of all new cancer cases in men in the UK, and 14 per cent of all new cancer cases in men and women combined Prostate cancer survival has tripled in the last 50 years in the UK More than three-quarters (78 per cent) of patients survive for 10 or more years About 490,000 men are living with and after prostate cancer in the UK It is most common in men aged 75 to 79 Since the early 1990s, cases have increased by 53 per cent in the UK Mortality rates are up 16 per cent since the early 1970s in the UK Incidence rates are projected to rise by 15 per cent in the UK between 2023 to 2025 and 2038 to 2040 Mortality rates are expected to fall five per cent in the UK over the same years
The Guardian
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
New AI test can predict which men will benefit from prostate cancer drug
Doctors have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can predict which men with prostate cancer will benefit from a drug that halves the risk of dying. Abiraterone has been described as a 'gamechanger' treatment for the disease, which is the most common form of cancer in men in more than 100 countries. It has already helped hundreds of thousands with advanced prostate cancer to live longer. But some countries, including England, have stopped short of offering the 'spectacular' drug more widely to men whose disease has not spread. Now a team from the US, UK and Switzerland have built an AI test that shows which men would most likely benefit from abiraterone. The 'exciting' breakthrough will enable healthcare systems to roll out the drug to more men, and spare others unnecessary treatment. The AI test is being unveiled in Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the world's largest cancer conference. Nick James, professor of prostate and bladder cancer research at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and a consultant clinical oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS foundation trust, co-led the team that built it. 'Abiraterone has already hugely improved the outlook for hundreds of thousands of men with advanced prostate cancer,' said James. 'We know that for many men with cancer that has not yet spread, it can also have spectacular results. 'But it does come with side-effects and requires additional monitoring for potential issues with high blood pressure or liver abnormalities. It can also slightly increase the risk of diabetes and heart attacks, so knowing who is most likely to benefit is very valuable. 'This research shows that we can pick out the people who will respond best to abiraterone, and those who will do well from standard treatment alone – hormone therapy and radiotherapy.' The test uses AI to study images of tumours and pick out features invisible to the human eye. The team, funded by Prostate Cancer UK, the Medical Research Council and Artera, trialled the test on biopsy images from more than 1,000 men with high-risk prostate cancer that had not spread. The AI test identified the 25% of men in the group most likely to benefit from the abiraterone – for these men, the drug halves the risk of death. In the trial, patients received a score – biomarker-positive or -negative – which was compared with their outcomes. For those with biomarker-positive tumours, one in four of the men, abiraterone cut their risk of death after five years from 17% to 9%. For those with biomarker-negative tumours, abiraterone cut the risk of death from 7% to 4% – a difference that was not statistically or clinically significant, the team said. These men would benefit from standard therapy alone and be spared unnecessary treatment. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The study co-leader Prof Gert Attard, of the UCL Cancer Institute, said: 'This study shows, in a very large cohort of patients, that novel algorithms can be used to extract information from routinely available pathology slides to tailor these treatments to specific patients and minimise over treatment whilst maximising the chance of cure.' James said that because fewer men than previously thought would need the drug, healthcare systems should consider giving it to men whose cancer had not spread. It is approved for NHS use in England for advanced prostate cancer, but not for newly diagnosed high-risk disease that has not spread. However, it has been available for men with this indication in Scotland and Wales for two years. 'Abiraterone costs just £77 per pack, compared with the thousands of pounds that new drugs cost,' said James. 'I truly hope that this new research – showing precisely who needs the drug to live well for longer – will lead to NHS England reviewing their decision not to fund abiraterone for high-risk prostate cancer that has not spread.' Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, described the AI test as 'exciting'. He added: 'We therefore echo the researchers' urgent call for abiraterone to be made available to those men whose lives it can save – men who, thanks to this research, we can now identify more precisely than ever before.'
The Independent
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
AI to help end ‘postcode lottery' for vital prostate cancer drug
AI could bring an end to the "postcode lottery" surrounding a life-extending treatment for advanced prostate cancer, researchers have said. A study has discovered that the technology can identify the patients who will benefit most from a "game changer" drug. Abiraterone, a hormone therapy that blocks testosterone production to prevent the growth of prostate cancer, is approved for NHS use in England for patients with advanced prostate cancer that has spread. However, it is not approved for men newly diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer that has not yet spread, even though it has been available for these patients in Scotland and Wales for the past two years. The new test, developed by Artera, uses AI to detect features invisible to the human eye on images of tumour samples. The study, led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and University College London (UCL), ran the test on biopsy images from more than 1,000 men who took part in the Stampede trial. Patients were given a score of either biomarker-positive or biomarker-negative. Researchers found abiraterone reduced the risk of death among biomarker-positive patients from 17 per cent to 9 per cent. In biomarker-negative patients, the drug cut death risk from 7 per cent to 4 per cent, with researchers suggesting this indicates these men would benefit from standard therapy. Nick James, a professor of prostate and bladder cancer research at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and consultant clinical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, is chief investigator of Stampede and co-led the new study. He said: 'This research shows that we can pick out the people who will respond best to abiraterone, and those who will do well from standard treatment alone – hormone therapy and radiotherapy. ' Access to this life-extending drug is currently a postcode lottery – with those living in Scotland and Wales able to receive the treatment for free. 'The NHS in England has previously decided that it would be too expensive to offer the drug. Since the patent expired in 2022, abiraterone costs just £77 per pack – compared with the thousands of pounds that new drugs cost. 'Previous research by my team has shown that preventing cancer relapses for these men would save more money than the drug costs to purchase. 'I truly hope that this new research – showing precisely who needs the drug to live well for longer – will lead to NHS England reviewing their decision not to fund abiraterone for high-risk prostate cancer that has not spread.' Prof James also highlighted that while abiraterone can have 'spectacular' results, it does have side effects. 'Abiraterone has already hugely improved the outlook for hundreds of thousands of men with advanced prostate cancer,' he said. 'We know that for many men with cancer that has not yet spread, it can also have spectacular results. 'But it does come with side effects and requires additional monitoring for potential issues with high blood pressure or liver abnormalities. 'It can also slightly increase the risk of diabetes and heart attacks, so knowing who is most likely to benefit is very valuable.' Experts hope the findings, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, may lead to a change in the availability of abiraterone in England. Prof Kristian Helin, chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, said the drug has been a 'game changer for treatment of prostate cancer'. 'Alongside our mission to find smarter, kinder treatments, we must ensure we are matching the right drugs to the right patients,' he added. 'This research, using artificial intelligence, provides an innovative route to testing prostate cancer patients to determine their treatment. 'I hope that this can be implemented so that all men with prostate cancer who will benefit from abiraterone can do so.' Dr Matthew Hobbs, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'Prostate Cancer UK has been calling on the UK Government to approve this life-saving, cost-effective drug for over two years. 'These exciting results suggest a way to make this an even more cost-effective approach. 'We therefore echo the researchers' urgent call for abiraterone to be made available to those men whose lives it can save – men who, thanks to this research, we can now identify more precisely than ever before.'
