Pfizer third-quarter profit beats estimates; oncology drugs shine Tue Oct 29, 2013 7:13am EDT (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, helped by costs cuts and growing sales of recently approved cancer medicines. The largest U.S. drugmaker said it earned $2.59 billion, or 39 cents per share, in the quarter, compared with $3.21 billion, or 43 cents per share, in the year-earlier period. Excluding special items, Pfizer earned 58 cents per share. Analysts, on average, expected 56 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.