Thousands of men with prostate cancer in England are set to be offered a faster, more targeted form of radiotherapy on the NHS, in a move officials say could reduce side effects and cut the number of hospital visits needed for treatment.
NHS England announced on 10 June 2026 that eligible patients with early prostate cancer will be able to receive stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, or SABR, which delivers a higher dose directly to the tumour while aiming to spare healthy tissue. The rollout is expected to begin within days, with the first centres offering the treatment from next week.
What the new treatment means for patients
The NHS said SABR will typically be delivered in five doses over a fortnight, compared with at least 20 doses for standard external beam radiotherapy. That difference could significantly reduce travel and appointment burden for patients and their families, while also helping to limit some of the side effects associated with broader radiation treatment.
According to NHS England, the therapy will be available at all 48 radiotherapy providers across England. Around 17,500 men are diagnosed with low or intermediate risk prostate cancer in England each year, and the NHS estimates nearly a fifth of them may choose SABR as a treatment option.
Capacity gains for an under-pressure system
The national health service said the rollout could free up around 50,000 appointments for prostate cancer treatment every year, easing pressure on services while improving convenience for patients. NHS chief executive Sir Jim Mackey said the approach would “transform” treatment for thousands of men with localised prostate cancer and make care “far more powerful and more convenient.”
Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer in men in the UK, with over 55,000 diagnoses each year and around 12,300 deaths. NHS leaders said the move builds on UK-led trials and forms part of a broader drive to improve cancer care and bring down waiting times.
Professor Peter Johnson, the NHS national clinical director for cancer, said the technique allows doctors to focus a powerful beam of radiotherapy directly onto the cancer, limiting damage to healthy cells. He added that the reduced treatment schedule should help men get back to their lives more quickly, though he noted the therapy will not be suitable for everyone.
For patients weighing their options, the change could mean access to a treatment that is both shorter and more precise than conventional radiotherapy. For the NHS, it represents another attempt to modernise cancer care while making better use of clinical capacity across the system.
Source: NHS England
