A REVOLUTIONARY prostate cancer drug boosts survival by a quarter in advanced patients, suggests a landmark study.
Olaparib, which targets faulty genes that fuel tumours, was also 66 per cent better at halting the disease than standard treatment.
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First precision drug
It is the first precision treatment for prostate cancer.
Experts claim their findings show the therapy can extend life for up to 4,000 British men a year with advanced disease.
The daily pill was designed to tackle the faulty DNA affecting Angelina Jolie, known as a BRCA mutation, and is already licenced to treat ovarian and breast cancer.
The targeted treatment works by stopping tumour cells from repairing themselves after chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Boosts survival
Scientists said the latest findings will “transform the landscape” for prostate cancer patients – and predicted it could be available on the NHS within two years.
A study, led by the Institute of Cancer Research, London, involved nearly 400 men with advanced disease driven by faulty DNA.
It found those given olaparib saw their disease halted for four months longer than patients on standard hormone treatment.
They also survived an average of 18.5 months, compared to 15 months – a boost of 23 per cent – although experts said it was still too early to confirm these findings.
The results were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2019 in Barcelona.
‘Transforming’ prostate cancer care
Dr Matthew Hobbs, Deputy Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK said: “This hugely exciting result represents a revolution in the treatment of prostate cancer.
“It finally brings prostate cancer medicine into the 21st century.”
Every year around 47,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer, causing 11,000 deaths.
Lead researcher Professor Johann de Bono, from the ICR, said: “This study is a powerful demonstration of the potential of precision medicine to transform the landscape for patients with the commonest of male cancers.
“I hope that within the next couple of years, olaparib will become the first precision medicine to become available as a standard treatment for men with prostate cancer.
“Our clinical trial shows that olaparib, a pill without the side-effects of chemotherapy, is able to target an Achilles’ heel in cancer cells. Olaparib is able to kill cancer cells with faulty DNA repair genes while sparing normal cells.”
Experts said it opens up an exciting new era of personalised treatment in prostate cancer.
Men could soon be gene tested to see if faulty DNA is driving their disease, allowing doctors to pick the most suitable treatment.
The approach is already common in breast cancer.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Eleni Efstathiou, from Texas University, said: “This is a landmark trial.”
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