NHS expands access to prostate cancer drug in England to save thousands of lives
The NHS has expanded access to a prostate cancer drug across England in a move expected to save thousands of lives,Abiraterone, which starves cancer cells of the hormones they need to grow, will be offered to men who are newly diagnosed and whose disease has not spread beyond the prostate,Previously, the drug was available only to patients with advanced prostate cancer that had spread to other parts of the body,It is already prescribed more widely in Scotland and Wales, a disparity charities said had created a postcode lottery,The NHS said the rollout in England had been secured with the support of campaigners including Prostate Cancer UK.
The decision means about 8,000 men will be eligible for the drug each year, and within this group it is expected to reduce deaths from prostate cancer from about 1,900 to fewer than 1,000.Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, affecting one in eight in the UK, with about 55,300 new diagnoses and 12,200 deaths a year.Prof Peter Johnson, the national clinical director at NHS England, said thousands of men could “kickstart their year with the news that they will have a better chance of living longer and healthier lives”.He said: “The NHS will continue to work hard to offer people the most effective and evidence-based treatments, with several new prostate cancer drugs rolled out over the last five years.”Abiraterone will be given in combination with a steroid, prednisolone, and standard treatments including androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and radiotherapy.
A clinical trial led by researchers at University College London and the Institute of Cancer Research found the drug could halve the risk of prostate cancer coming back and reduce the risk of death by 40% when the disease had not spread beyond the prostate.Prostate Cancer UK estimates the decision will save more than 3,000 lives over the next five years.Amy Rylance, an assistant director of health improvement at the charity, said: “This decision is a momentous, life-saving victory for the thousands of men whose lives will now be saved.“Until now, men in England have found themselves in an impossible situation.It’s terrifying to be told you’ve got a cancer that’s likely to spread – to then find out you can’t access the treatment that science has proven to be your best chance at surviving is completely devastating.
”She added: “We refused to accept this outcome for men and we didn’t stop until we changed it..”The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said he was “delighted” by the decision, adding that abiraterone “significantly improves survival rates and can give patients precious extra years of life”.He added: “We’re backing the best clinical evidence, making smart funding decisions and ensuring patients get the care they need when they need it most.”
Woolworths online delivery platforms tested: which is cheapest and how do they compare with in-store shopping?
Australia’s biggest supermarket has added yet another online delivery option, offering more choice – but perhaps also complexity and confusion – for Woolworths shoppers.The delivery platform DoorDash has emailed customers to let them know it is now delivering the supermarket’s groceries, promising “more choice for last-minute top-ups, weekly shops and everything in-between”.This gives Woolworths customers four main delivery options: the supermarket’s own website, DoorDash, UberEats and Milkrun, which Woolworths acquired in 2023.So which Woolworths option is cheapest? And how do prices compare to buying in store? Guardian Australia tested it out.Sign up: AU Breaking News emailWoolworths started using DoorDash soon after rival Coles severed its arrangement with the platform to partner exclusively with UberEats
World stock markets brace for turbulence after Trump’s latest tariff shock
Global stock markets are bracing for falls when trading resumes on Monday after Donald Trump threatened eight European countries with fresh tariffs until they support his ambition to acquire Greenland.The US president’s plan to impose new trade levies of 10% on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland from 1 February, rising to 25% on 1 June, is creating fear in the markets, and among European businesses.Trading on the brokerage IG’s weekend markets suggest there will be losses on the London Stock Exchange when it reopens on Monday, while rising geopolitical fears could drive precious metal prices towards new record highs. Wall Street, which reopens on Tuesday, is also on track for a fall.“This latest flashpoint has heightened concerns over a potential unravelling of Nato alliances and the disruption of last year’s trade agreements with several European nations, driving risk-off sentiment in stocks and boosting safe-haven demand for gold and silver,” said Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG
Deactivate your X account – you won’t miss it when it’s gone | Letter
As a past follower of Marie Le Conte (AKA the Young Vulgarian) on X, I read her column on leaving the platform with interest, complete empathy and self-reflection (To anybody still using X: sexual abuse content is the final straw, it’s time to leave, 12 January).I joined X – or rather, Twitter – in 2007 after reading a Guardian article on the five next hit websites. Needless to say, most of the others have been forgotten. I was bored in my uni halls and it sounded the most interesting.In those days one could sit and watch the global feed – every tweet being posted in the world – with notable seconds between posts
‘Still here!’: X’s Grok AI tool accessible in Malaysia and Indonesia despite ban
Days after Malaysia made global headlines by announcing it would temporarily ban Grok over its ability to generate “grossly offensive and nonconsensual manipulated images”, the generative AI tool was conversing breezily with accounts registered in the country.“Still here! That DNS block in Malaysia is pretty lightweight – easy to bypass with a VPN or DNS tweak,” Grok’s account on X said in response to a question from a user.Grok’s ability to allow users to create sexually explicit images, including images of children, has created a global outcry over recent weeks, with regulators and politicians around the world launching investigations. Indonesia and Malaysia became the first two countries to announce blocks on the technology, with Malaysia’s regulatory body saying last Sunday it had “directed a temporary restriction” on access to Grok, effective as of 11 January 2026. Officials in the Philippines have said they too plan to ban the technology
Houston Texans v New England Patriots: AFC Divisional Round NFL playoff – live
So I have just been listening to Patriots owner Robert Kraft say his team are BACK. A little strong but he’s hardly going to say he’s not sure when asked if they are. New England have certainly been very good after cooking up a brilliant 14-3 season while just missing out on the AFC’s top seed. They certainly seem like they are on more solid ground now with Drake Maye at the controls with club man Mike Vrabel coaching compared to the very false dawn they had with Mac Jones.Jones, now backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco, helped earn New England’s most recent playoff visit after Tom Brady left the building
Not bowled over by male sports chat | Brief letters
I’m fed up with reading Guardian articles that make use of male sporting analogies. I have absolutely no idea who Stuart Broad is and I guarantee the majority of women reading your editorial (16 January) wouldn’t either. Therefore your analogy is incomprehensible. Guys, just stop this blokey, pub-style chat and wake up to your female readership, for pity’s sake! It’s well past time.Kathy DalwoodLondon It’s not only north and south that are relative concepts (Letters, 15 January) – so is one’s country … at least on football terraces
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