Dr Sarah Cant, Head of Policy and Campaigns at The Prostate
Cancer Charity, explains: "The results of this trial of cabazitaxel
are an important step along the journey towards expanding the
treatments available for men who are living with an advanced form
of the disease that has stopped responding to the existing, limited
methods of controlling its progression.
"Whilst clearly an important development, there are still some
significant hurdles that the drug will need to overcome before it
can be recommended and made available to men living with advanced
disease in the UK. At the moment doctors cannot prescribe
cabazitaxel to treat prostate cancer as it is yet to be licensed
for use in Europe.
"The research shows that cabazitaxel is effective in increasing
the amount of time men with this type of advanced prostate cancer
can live by an average of 2.4 months, as well as delaying the
spread of the disease. However, as the researchers themselves
acknowledge, men taking cabazitaxel as part of this study had a
greater risk of significant side effects, and the impact the
treatment has on a man's quality of life during those extra weeks
is currently being investigated. We hope this information will be
made available as soon as possible and that NICE* will use this and
the clinical data to swiftly appraise the drug's benefits over the
next year so that clinicians in the UK are given clear guidelines
on its recommended uses at the same time as the drug is
licensed.
"We commend the researchers for addressing an issue of critical
need in advanced prostate cancer treatment, where the options
available to men are in short supply. There is, however, still a
way to go before men with this type of disease will have access to
cabazitaxel. In the meantime, we would encourage any man affected
by prostate cancer who has a question about his treatment options
to speak to his doctor," Dr Cant added.