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Prostate Scotland welcomes SMC decision to approve Cabazitaxel for advanced prostate cancer

Prostate Scotland Statement re Decision of Scottish Medicines Consortium to approve Cabazitaxel for advanced prostate cancer

We are very pleased that SMC have decided to make Cabazitaxel (Jevtana®) available via the NHS in Scotland for men with advanced prostate cancer after standard chemotherapy has failed. This is a helpful and welcome decision for men with advanced prostate cancer as recent research i  has shown that the administration of Cabazitaxel for men with advanced prostate cancer after failure of standard chemotherapy can have benefits and may lead to longer survival.
We are pleased that the Committee have agreed to approve Cabazitaxel for men with advanced prostate cancer where standard chemotherapy has failed as the option of being able to access this treatment (where it is clinically indicated) could be helpful (particularly for men with visceral metastases) ii , as there are not that many options for men in these circumstances.

Notes to editors:
1 Prostate cancer is the most common cancer amongst men in Scotland, with a lifetime chance of one in eleven of a man getting it. There were over 31,412 new registrations of men with prostate cancer between 2003 and 2013 and 9013 deaths of men in Scotland from prostate cancer, during that period . Over the past 20 years the number of men surviving prostate cancer has doubled and survival rates are now 80%.  Projections by the NHS show that the diagnosis of men with prostate cancer is likely to rise by up to 35% between now and 2027.

2. Prostate Scotland (registered Scottish charity No.SC037494) was set up in 2006 as a Scottish charity to develop awareness of prostate disease, to support men and their families/partners with the disease through providing advice and information and to advance treatment and research into prostate disease. It has established an award winning website www.prostatescotland.org.uk providing a wide range of information about prostate disease and treatments, as well as providing information and advice about prostate disease to men and their families across Scotland. In 2010 the charity won a national award for its impact on community health and in 2013 and 2015 was commended in the British Medical Association Patient information Awards. For further information please contact Adam Gaines at info@prostatescotland.org.uk, or 0131 603 8660