Abiraterone to be available for high risk patients in England

User

Posted 16 Jan 2026 at 19:50

I wonder what the implications are for those of us recently diagnosed with high risk locally advanced in England?

Is it more effective than my current ADT such as Orgovyx? Will we be swapped over or added to?

"Abiraterone has been provided on the NHS in Scotland and Wales since 2023 but not in England and Northern Ireland, except in the most severe cases.

The drug is already prescribed for patients in the UK with very advanced prostate cancer that has spread.

But from now on the drug will be available on the NHS in England to high-risk patients whose cancer has not yet metastasised - potentially saving hundreds of lives."

www.bbc.co.uk/.../cwywezx86nko

Edited by member 16 Jan 2026 at 23:00 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 16 Jan 2026 at 22:47

Think it will be doublet therapy or Abi and First line HT.

User

Posted 16 Jan 2026 at 23:23

I have been looking at that. Husband is higher risk locally advanced, apparently a tiny speck was found in one node, on his PSMA pet scan, currently on Decapeptyl, he is I think going to soon have Apalutamide added, prior to radiotherapy. I did wonder. He is fine at moment, very active, walking, chopping wood, a bit tired late at night.

Hopefully when eventually he does stop the ADT I've read testosterone recovery is slightly better on Decapeptyl than some others.

User

Posted 18 Jan 2026 at 22:24

I've just had my final prescribed decapeptyl injection, 18 months course plus radical radiotherapy. I'm high risk Gleason 9 stage 2a. I wonder would I now benefit from abiraterone or is it too late?

User

Posted 18 Jan 2026 at 22:44

Probably too late, the current information is it will apply those diagnosed in the last 3 months, as we will stil have 2 years or so of HT treatment still in the pipeline. Doubt you want to extend your current HT for much longer even if that is possible.

Also you are G9 but what was your original PSA? >20 ? I think you may need 2 High risk factors - 2a wouldn't count.

Edited by member 18 Jan 2026 at 22:45 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 18 Jan 2026 at 23:42

My original PSA was 19.7

The side effects of ADT have been bad for me, but I've done the prescribed course. So I won't know for another 6 months whether the RT has worked, I have a PSA test next month but I'm still under influence of the last injection. I don't want any more decapeptyl unless I have to. If it starts growing again I'll certainly need something.

User

Posted 26 Jan 2026 at 18:10

Hi. Thanks for the add.

I started Prostap in mid October 2025. Gleeson 4+3. PET CT showed no distant spread. PSA fallen from mid 90s / mid 80s (x2 tests a week apart pre treatment).

I've been told today that I'm not a candidate for abiraterone as the cut off is within 12 weeks of starting hormones and I'm at around 14 weeks (and with the necessary meetings etc the time would extend further). I was given apologies for the disappointing news (this made me feel a bit worse as it sounded like a bigger loss than I'd thought it would be...). I've got pre-radiotherapy in 10 days or so. I'm unsure whether to agitate for abiraterone even though I;m slightly out of the window or whether to leave it well alone. I'm doing very well with the physical and emotional stuff so far (despite one unhelpful interaction with one medic late last year). If there is a chance of getting abiraterone and it would be likely to be of benefit I'll certainly agitate for it, but I don't want to embark on a pointless mission that will lead to a negative outcome which, in itself, may have damage my health. I'd value any advice please. tia

User

Posted 26 Jan 2026 at 18:15

That's interesting but a bit disturbing about the strict cutoff - but from your profile i see you are G7 so wouldn't on that alone be considered high risk so not meeting the criteria. I started Orgovyx (G9 T3b) on Nov 1st so close to 3 months and not heard from them last week - I am now tempting fate by emailing my care team to ask- if anyone else has recently started but heard about the abiraterone boost for them do let us know.

Edited by member 26 Jan 2026 at 18:30 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 27 Jan 2026 at 12:28

I have had confirmation today that, as I was 13 weeks or so into my hormone treatment when the NHS made the announcement I won't be eligible (as I was past the 12 week deadline). I was also told that the key date isn't the date of the NHS announcement but it is the commencement of Abiraterone after the necessary meetings, tests etc.

As such it may be that there's a real urgency for those who are approaching 12 weeks (maybe even approaching 8 weeks or so) to press for the necessary meetings and tests to avoid being timed out.

I have been told that I may be able to get the Abiraterone privately but that doing so may require my forthcoming radiotherapy to also be done privately.

I have also been told that I may need to start Abiraterone before radiotherapy. I'll provide updates on my situation as things hopefully becomes clearer.

User

Posted 28 Jan 2026 at 16:53

The fairly strict 3 month cut off is I believe because they are following one of the relevant trial protocols that covered this and probably don't want to veer too far from that for clinical consistency's sake . I enquired with my CNS team about whether I would be a candidate. They said they'd pass it on the Oncologist I saw earlier this month.
No other reply but my appt that was early March has been brought forward a month to in less than two weeks time now.
Could be a sign that I might get in before the door is bolted (started ADT Nov 1st) but only my speculation at the moment.

Edited by member 28 Jan 2026 at 17:05 | Reason: Not specified

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