NEW YORK – It’s the second deadliest cancer for men, but thanks to a new trial, there may be new hope for those battling prostate cancer.
“This study really looked at men who had progressed, or for whom the standard of care therapy was no longer working,” said Doctor Dax Kurbegov with the Sarah Cannon Research Institute.
The drug olaparib, was shown to delay the disease progression in men with metastatic castrate-resistant cancer and mutations in their HRR Genes.
Castrate-resistant means that the cancer keeps growing even when the testosterone levels in the patient’s body have been drastically reduced.
“The men that were treated in this trial, it reduced the chance of progression or death by 60%, and men who were on the agent more than doubled the time that they benefited from treatment compared to standard therapies,” said Doctor Kurbegov.
The drug is sold under the brand name Lynparza. It’s currently used to treat adults with other cancers including ovarian, fallopian tube, and certain types of breast cancer.
But, manufacturers hope to get it approved “as soon as possible” for prostate cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, about one out of nine men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and it’s more common in older and African American men.
It’s the second deadliest form of cancer for men, behind lung cancer.
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