A drug used for breast and ovarian cancer is more effective than modern targeted hormone treatments at slowing progression and improving survival in some men with advanced prostate cancer, phase III clinical trial findings reveal.

The preliminary results of a major phase III clinical trial show that the genetically targeted drug olaparib improves outcomes for men with advanced prostate cancer whose tumours have DNA repair faults.

The ICR responds to the approval by NHS regulators NICE for the use of targeted cancer drug olaparib earlier in the course of treatment for women with late-stage ovarian cancer and other gynaecological cancers who have BRCA gene mutations.