BREAKTHROUGH
Drug boosting ‘survival rates of terminally ill patients’ to be here within months
MEN with terminal prostate cancer could benefit from a new drug.
Lutetium, which boosted survival by four months in those whose disease had spread, is safe and effective to use.
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It was approved by The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency.
The drugs watchdog is set to decide whether to recommend an NHS rollout in the autumn.
More than 52,000 men a year are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 12,000 die.
Around 3,500 develop advanced disease that does not respond to routine treatment.
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Lutetium, given intravenously, binds to cancer cells to deliver a radioactive payload that destroys the tumour.
Prof Johann de Bono, of West London’s Royal Marsden Hospital, said: “This is a major clinical advancement.”
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