Breast-cancer drug also helps in prostate cancer

WASHINGTON (AP) — A drug women have long used to battle breast cancer also can help men with advanced prostate cancer live a little longer, the Food and Drug Administration ruled Wednesday.

The drug is Taxotere, and used together with the steroid prednisone it becomes the first treatment that FDA deems potentially life-lengthening for men whose advanced prostate cancer doesn't respond to hormone therapy.

In a study comparing the Taxotere/prednisone combination to standard therapy, the Taxotere users lived on average 2.5 months longer.

Some may live a little longer than that, but even those few extra months can be an important benefit, said FDA's Dr. Ramzi Dagher, who led the agency's review of the drug.