New Treatment for Non-Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer remains one of the most common forms of the deadly disease, with over 150,000 cases each year just in the United States. Prostate cancer is treatable if caught early enough, through a combination of medications, hormone therapy, or in extreme cases a prostatectomy. So long as cancer does not metastasize to other organs, the prognosis is generally better than many other cancers.

Because the life expectancy of controlled prostate cancer is reasonably high, controlling the disease is of preeminent concern. Johnson & Johnson recently received FDA approval of a new medication, Erleada, designed to limit the spread of the disease. The approval took place on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2018.

In controlled studies, Erleada significantly delayed the amount of time it took for tumors to spread. Delaying the spread of the disease gives doctors and patients more time to evaluate and develop an appropriate treatment regimen and to determine whether less invasive procedures might be sufficient to manage the disease or even put the patient into remission.

The key to treating with Erleada is early detection. The drug is only effective when utilized in the initial stages of the disease. Once the disease has begun to spread, more aggressive forms of treatment often become necessary. Many of these treatments, such as prostatectomy, carry significant side effects for the reproductive health of the patient.

Unfortunately, failure to make a timely diagnosis of prostate cancer is far too common, and once the diagnosis is missed treatments such as Erleada become ineffective. If you or someone you love has suffered from prostate cancer, and you fear doctors missed the diagnosis when the disease was still in a more treatable stage, please contact an experienced lawyer. A qualified attorney can help you pursue your case and ensure the medical establishment is held responsible.