<strong>New drug shows promise in treating metastatic prostate cancer.</strong>

A new drug demonstrated “unprecedented” benefit in treating prostate cancer that metastasized or spread to the bones, according to a study written by University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers. The drug  — cabozantinib — helped shrink bone metastases and decrease pain in men participating in the study.  Dr. David C. Smith, professor of internal medicine and urology at the university, was lead author.

The phase II trial enrolled 171 men whose prostate cancer no longer responded to hormone-based therapy. About two-thirds of the patients treated with cabozantinib saw improvements on their bones scans, and 56 percent decreased or eliminated their use of narcotic painkillers.  More trials are underway to better understand the drug’s potential role in prostate cancer treatment.

Results of the study appeared in the <i>Journal of Clinical Oncology</i>.