The British Health Services Authority has given a new drug described as a “pioneer” in the treatment of prostate and breast cancer, the green light to authorize its use.
Under that approval, regarding 550 men with advanced prostate cancer and 300 women with early breast cancer will receive treatment each year in England.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS, said: “Olaparib might have a significant impact on patients with a range of cancers.
“Many people will have a better chance of survival, while people with advanced forms of the disease will be given precious extra months to live,” she added.
According to the British newspaper “The Sun”, trials have shown that “Olaparib” can extend the life of patients by an average of six months.
Breast cancer patients who underwent chemotherapy saw the risk of the tumor returning within 4 years decreased by nearly a third.
In the UK each year there are more than 55,000 new cases of breast cancer, and the disease kills around 1,500 women.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men.
Chiara De Biasi, from Prostate Cancer UK, said: “This is a defining moment in the treatment of prostate cancer. This is the first targeted therapy of its kind approved for the disease and finally moves us away from the old approach.”
