In UK, men who suffer from prostate cancer may have a chance to extend their a few more years.

The drug Zytiga has shown that it could extend life expectancy of a prostate cancer patient by as much as four months.

The European drugs watchdog said that the drug will be available by the end of September.

The pill will only be given to patients with insistent form of cancers that cannot be cured by medical treatment and other drugs.

The drug works by cutting the tumor from the hormone’s testosterone.  The cancer stops growing.

The European Committee for Medicinal Products recommended the drug for Human Use.  Zytiga will now be considered by the European Commission, and a decision can be expected within three months.

The government agency NICE would need to consider what the drug can offer to a prostate cancer patient before it could get approval.  Once approve, the drug will now be available for Health services.  The process could take several years before it could be finished.

If one needs it right now, then one can just buy it.  Alternatively, one could also apply for  funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund or their Primary Care Trust.

A survey conducted on 800 patients found out that those patients taking the drug with steroid treatment could last up to 15 months compared to patients who are only using steroid for treatment, which could only last for 11 months.

The trial become successful that it was abandon, which puts Zytiga as the most recommended drug for prostate cancer patients.  Experts are hoping that it would improve the quality of life and extend survival for cancer patients.

Professor Johann de Bono from the Institute of Cancer Research says they’re  pleased that the regulating panel has recommended the drug for use.

Men with prostate cancer has limited options available to them.  Any pill such as Zytiga would help them.

Professor Alan Ashworth, chief executive of the ICR says the support coming from European Commission could make an immense difference to the 10,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year. Since they first discovered the drug, the ICR, together with their partners, has worked persistently to develop abiraterone acetate into a well-tolerated, useful treatment for men suffering from advance form of prostate cancer.

To date, an estimated 50,000 men in the UK  diagnosed with prostate cancer.  The number of patients grew by 37,000 new cases yearly.