Study: Some prostate cancer patients could live longer with extra chemo

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Study: Some prostate cancer patients could live longer with extra chemo
(Image credit: Thinkstock)

Men with advanced prostate cancer might live longer if given an inexpensive drug alongside androgen-suppression treatment, researchers reported Sunday.

In a study, the extra treatment improved survival in men whose cancer had spread to other areas of the body by 39 percent, NBC News reports. After 36 months, out of 790 men in the study, 136 who underwent androgen suppression (chemical castration) by itself died, compared to 101 who had that hormone treatment along with the chemotherapy medication docetaxel. "This study shows a remarkable and meaningful prolongation in survival for advanced prostate cancer," said Dr. Clifford Hudis, president of the American Society for Clinical Oncology.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.