A new AI test can detect which men with high-risk prostate cancer could benefit from a life-extending drug.
The technology studies images of tumour samples and picks out features the human eye cannot see.
It then gives patients a score – biomarker-positive or -negative – to determine who will require abiraterone – a drug that inhibits testosterone production in the tumour.
Giles Turner, 64, who lives in Brighton, was diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer in March 2023 and is taking abiraterone.
While the medicine is free on the NHS in England for men with advanced prostate cancer, Giles has spent £20,000 on it.
He told Metro that he had just retired and before his diagnosis felt like he was in good health.
‘When I first got that diagnosis it felt ridiculous, like it couldn’t be possible,’ Giles said.
‘There’s still a stigma around it like it is an old man’s disease but it can happen to younger men as well.
‘I joined a local support group and found out about abiraterone through that.
‘Since then, I’ve spent £20,000 and while it is affordable for me, it is eating into my pension fund.
‘If anything, I’m angry that treatment is not free in England, yet it is in Scotland and Wales. The NHS is meant to be there for you.’
Developed by scientists in the US, UK and Switzerland, the AI was trialed on 1,000 men with high-risk prostate cancer that had not spread.
It found that for 25% of men in the group, they would benefit from the drug abiraterone, a drug that halves the risk of death from the disease.
Because fewer men need the drug than previously thought, experts behind the study also say this will save the NHS money.
Prostate cancer symptoms
According to the NHS, prostate cancer does not usually cause any symptoms until the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis.
Symptoms of prostate cancer can include:
- Blood in urine or blood in semen
- Needing to pee more frequently, often during the night
- Needing to rush to the toilet
- Difficulty in starting to pee (hesitancy)
- Straining or taking a long time while peeing
- Weak flow
- Feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully
Abiraterone has been described as a ‘game changer’ for the treatment of prostate cancer – the most common cancer found in men.
Giles believes the new research should push both the NHS and government to introduce abiraterone for free in England.
He said: ‘The tool is a wonderful example of AI being used for good, helping to detect whether men will need the drug or not early on.
‘It detects what specialists can’t see, helping to reduce future deaths for thousands of men.
‘It would have helped me two years ago to have definite certainty as to whether I needed abiraterone or not.
‘My hope for the future is for thousands of others to get access to this drug if they need it so that more lives are saved.’
Nick James, a professor of prostate and bladder cancer research at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, co led the study.
He said: ‘Access to this life-extending drug is currently a postcode lottery – with those living in Scotland and Wales able to receive the treatment for free.
‘The NHS in England has previously decided that it would be too expensive to offer the drug. Since the patent expired in 2022, abiraterone costs just £77 per pack – compared with the thousands of pounds that new drugs cost.
‘Previous research by my team has shown that preventing cancer relapses for these men would save more money than the drug costs to purchase.’
Professor James warned about some side effects from the drug.
These include potential issues with high blood pressure, or liver abnormalities and the risk of diabetes and heart attacks.
Other organisations like Prostate Cancer UK have also been calling on the UK government to approve abiraterone for free in England.
Around 50,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and an estimated 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime.
More than 12,000 men die from it each year and around 510,000 are living with prostate cancer.
In response to calls to make the drug more accessible, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We understand the frustration and upset of patients who cannot access this treatment.
‘Abiraterone is available for some NHS patients in England with metastatic prostate cancer, and a decision to extend its use will be kept under review.’
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