England is set to make a major change in prostate cancer treatment, with thousands of men gaining access to a life-saving drug that has long been available in Scotland and Wales.
The announcement comes after years of campaigning by patients and advocacy groups, marking a turning point in how high-risk prostate cancer is treated.
Abiraterone, a drug already used for patients whose cancer has spread, will now be offered on the NHS in England to men whose disease is still confined but carries a high risk of progressing.
This follows similar moves in Scotland and Wales, where early access has been available since 2023, but until now, men in England were largely left without this option.
Health experts predict the change could benefit around 7,000 men every year. Prostate Cancer UK estimates that approximately 1,470 men could avoid the worsening of their disease, potentially saving 560 lives.
Amy Rylance, assistant director of health improvement at Prostate Cancer UK, described the decision as “a momentous, life-saving victory for the thousands of men whose lives will now be saved”. She also acknowledged the BBC’s role in keeping “a spotlight on this issue” over recent years.
NHS England says the rollout will begin within weeks, starting with around 2,000 men diagnosed in the last three months who are considered likely to benefit from the treatment.
Abiraterone works by blocking the hormones that feed prostate cancer, slowing its growth and reducing the chance of it spreading.
Giles Turner, from Brighton, whose aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis came in March 2023, has been a vocal advocate for the drug’s wider availability. After learning that NHS Scotland and Wales offered the drug while England did not, he told BBC News: “I was shocked and angered that my postcode meant I was denied free access to a treatment that could halve my risk of dying and give me the best chance of a cure.”
Unable to wait, Turner paid £250 a month for the drug himself. He said at the time he felt “very fortunate” to afford the treatment, but furious that many others could not. He later began campaigning for policy change.
Initially, NHS England indicated it was reviewing broader use, but by the following year, Prostate Cancer UK was told no funding was available. Ministers repeated this response in early 2025.
Turner reacted to the news saying: “Today's wonderful news is the culmination of all our determined and dogged efforts. I'm beyond happy that men like me now have fair access to the most effective treatment, that so many lives will now be saved, and that so many families will be spared heartbreak.”
He added, however, that he was frustrated that almost three years had passed since raising the issue.
The charity’s push for early access relied on findings from the STAMPEDE trial, published in 2022, which showed that adding abiraterone to standard care improved survival.
The Institute of Cancer Research reported that two years of the treatment cut the risk of cancer recurrence by half and reduced the risk of death by 40 percent.
Researchers had grown frustrated that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence had not approved the drug for newly diagnosed patients, citing the time-consuming application process required to extend usage.
Abiraterone became a generic medication in October 2022, reducing incentives for manufacturers to seek wider approval.
Scotland and Wales had found ways to fund the drug within existing health protocols, while England delayed action until now. NHS England said savings on other medicines have made it possible to fund this change.
Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: “The life-extending treatment available on the NHS within weeks will mean thousands of men can kick-start their year with the news that they will have a better chance of living longer and healthier lives.The NHS will continue to work hard to offer people the most effective and evidence-based treatments, with several new prostate cancer drugs rolled over the last five years.”
Health and social care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “When you're living with prostate cancer, every day with your loved ones matters. I'm delighted the NHS have taken the steps needed to make the drug available, giving thousands of men access to abiraterone – a treatment that significantly improves survival rates and can give patients precious extra years of life.”
Prof Gert Attard, co-lead of the STAMPEDE trial at the UCL Cancer Institute, welcomed the announcement, saying: “This is a hugely welcome moment for patients.
Our research showed clearly that abiraterone can save lives when offered earlier to men at high risk of their cancer spreading. Funding for this disease indication is already available in Scotland and Wales, so we are delighted that NHS England has acted on this evidence and will now make this highly effective treatment routinely available.”
Prostate Cancer UK said it is now pressing decision-makers in Northern Ireland to act quickly, writing to politicians in Stormont to urge them to follow England’s example. Stormont has not yet commented on any plans to revise abiraterone access.
