for men with advanced hormone-resistant prostate cancer who have failed also chemotherapy, the new drug Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) with the steroid prednisone appears to boost survival, researchers report.
Based on current clinical trial data, Zytiga has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in April. It works by inhibiting the production of the hormone male testosterone, that promotes the growth of cancer cells. In this regard, the drug mimics the hormone therapy.
Zytiga "extends overall survival in this patient population which had very limited treatment options after chemotherapy" researcher principal Dr. Fred Saad, Chief of Urology at the hospital Notre-Dame de Montréal, said at a press conference of Monday morning.
The men in the combination of drugs had a mean survival of 14.8 months, compared to 10.9 months for men taking placebo.
"Abiraterone represents an option of valuable treatment for patients with metastatic castration [hormone] - resistant of the prostate which had been previously treated with chemotherapy, very easy to manage, treatment-related toxicity in" Saad said.
The study was published in issue 26 May of the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings were also presented may 16 at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association, in Washington, D.C.
The study focused on the 1,195 men prostate cancer that has not responded to hormone therapy and that he had no prior chemotherapy. Researchers, hospitals of 147 in 13 countries, randomly men to take Zytiga more prednisone or placebo.
The combination of drugs was well tolerated and has given rise within fatigue, back pain and spinal compression taking men, compared to placebo, Saad said.
The most common side effects in people taking prednisone and Zytiga were lower white blood cell, a retention, rates of low potassium, abnormal liver function tests, blood pressure and heart problems, the researchers noted.
A one month supply 120 pills of Zytiga costs $ 5,000, said Kelly McLaughlin, a spokesman of Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc., manufacturer of the drug and a promoter of the study.
"This study tells us that there is a form of hormonal treatment, abiraterone, who works among people who had chemotherapy and hormonal treatment standard," said expert Dr. Anthony D'Amico of prostate cancer, head of the apparatus Genitourinary Oncology at Brigham and women's Hospital in Boston.
"It will provide people with the disease late with an opportunity for a prolonged survival that they had not before." "I can't say that it is a term of home because it is only a few months improved,", he added.
Aggressive prostate cancer may be able to make its own testosterone, cancer cells need to grow. "Zytiga blocks that", said D'Amico.
"This drug offers longer life and better quality of life in men with very advanced prostate cancer," said D'Amico. "There are studies now to see if this medication will improve the rate of healing in men with advanced, but not [metastatic cancer that has spread to other organs], prostate cancer,", he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment