Thousands of men with advanced prostate cancer are set to benefit from the first at-home treatment in what has been hailed a ‘major advance’ for the disease.
Relugolix has been given the go-ahead on the NHS, potentially helping 40,000 men with advanced hormone sensitive prostate cancer.
Unlike similar drugs which must be given as injections, the pill can be taken from home – sparing men from gruelling hospital trips.
Last night, experts said it will be a ‘gamechanger in terms of men’s experience of treatment’ while keeping the disease in check.
Known by brand name Orgovyx, trials found it also lowers the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems linked to this type of treatment.
An androgen therapy, it works by blocking the production of testosterone which prostate cancer needs to grow.
It is expected to be available to patients on the NHS within three months of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) final draft guidance being published.
Last night, Prostate Cancer UK said it was ‘fantastic news’ for patients, providing a more convenient and comfortable treatment for thousands of men.
Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at the charity, said: ‘This drug can not only help keep the cancer at bay but could be a game changer in terms of men’s experience of treatment.
She added: ‘Even better, trials suggest it has a lower risk of heart problems sometimes associated with these sorts of treatments.
‘All this makes it a major advance on what came before, and we’re pleased to see so many men getting access to kinder, effective treatments like this one.’
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, with more than 50,000 new diagnoses and 12,000 deaths annually.
Patients with the advanced forms of prostate cancers are usually offered hormone therapies, surgery or radiotherapy.
Made by UK-based Accord, evidence suggests relugolix is better at reducing testosterone to levels that stop cancer growth in the longer term than the alternative, leuprolide.
It comes as a landmark prostate cancer screening trial, called Transform, is getting underway in the UK, with a national screening programme likely to follow.
Transform will test the effectiveness of diagnosis techniques including MRIs when compared to the current standard, prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test.
The Mail has campaigned on improving prostate cancer outcomes for more than two decades.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, described it as an ‘innovative and effective treatment’ for prostate cancer.
She said: ‘Relugolix provides a convenient and flexible treatment option compared with therapies that need to be injected, helping people to avoid travel and time off work and the evidence shows it can improve people’s quality of life.’
How many people does it kill?
More than 11,800 men a year – or one every 45 minutes – are killed by the disease in Britain, compared with about 11,400 women dying of breast cancer.
It means prostate cancer is behind only lung and bowel in terms of how many people it kills in Britain.
In the US, the disease kills 26,000 men each year.
Despite this, it receives less than half the research funding of breast cancer and treatments for the disease are trailing at least a decade behind.
How many men are diagnosed annually?
Every year, upwards of 52,300 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK – more than 140 every day.
How quickly does it develop?
Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs someone has it for many years, according to the NHS.
If the cancer is at an early stage and not causing symptoms, a policy of ‘watchful waiting’ or ‘active surveillance’ may be adopted.
Some patients can be cured if the disease is treated in the early stages.
But if it is diagnosed at a later stage, when it has spread, then it becomes terminal and treatment revolves around relieving symptoms.
Thousands of men are put off seeking a diagnosis because of the known side effects from treatment, including erectile dysfunction.
Tests and treatment
Tests for prostate cancer are haphazard, with accurate tools only just beginning to emerge.
There is no national prostate screening programme as for years the tests have been too inaccurate.
Doctors struggle to distinguish between aggressive and less serious tumours, making it hard to decide on treatment.
Men over 50 are eligible for a ‘PSA’ blood test which gives doctors a rough idea of whether a patient is at risk.
But it is unreliable. Patients who get a positive result are usually given a biopsy which is also not fool-proof.
Scientists are unsure as to what causes prostate cancer, but age, obesity and a lack of exercise are known risks.
Anyone with any concerns can speak to Prostate Cancer UK’s specialist nurses on 0800 074 8383 or visit prostatecanceruk.org