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Could Abiraterone save the lives of prostate cancer sufferers?

Last Modified: 22 Jul 2008
By: Tom Clarke

A drug which treats one of the deadliest forms of prostate cancer could be the most significant advance for 70 years.

Prostate cancer currently kills around 12,000 men every year in the UK. But a new drug, Abiraterone, could help as many as 80 per cent of patients whose existing treatment has failed.

Scientists say it works by blocking off the hormones which fuel the cancer.

However, the drug will not become widely available for at least two to three years.