The NHS will begin offering a new form of precision radiotherapy to thousands of men with early prostate cancer, in a move officials say could reduce side effects, cut the number of hospital visits and free up capacity across the health service.
NHS England said eligible patients will be offered stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, or SABR, a treatment that delivers a higher dose to the tumour from multiple directions while aiming to spare healthy cells. The therapy is expected to be available within days, with the first centres set to offer it from next week.
A shorter course of treatment for localised prostate cancer
According to NHS England, SABR is typically delivered in five doses over a fortnight, compared with at least 20 doses for standard external beam radiotherapy. The organisation said the change should reduce the burden of repeated travel and appointments for patients and their families.
The NHS said around 17,500 men are diagnosed with low or intermediate risk prostate cancer in England each year and could be offered the option of SABR. Modelling suggests nearly a fifth of men with this form of cancer, or about 3,500 patients, may choose the treatment.
Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer in men in the UK, with more than 55,000 diagnoses each year and around 12,300 deaths annually, according to the NHS announcement. The service said the roll-out could help free up around 50,000 appointments for prostate cancer treatment each year.
Backed by new investment in radiotherapy equipment
The expansion is being enabled by government investment in new linear accelerator machines across the country, NHS England said. The treatment is expected to be available at all 48 radiotherapy providers in England, broadening access to what the health service described as pioneering care.
NHS chief executive Sir Jim Mackey said the development would transform treatment for thousands of men with localised prostate cancer and provide “far more powerful and more convenient” cancer care. NHS national clinical director for cancer Professor Peter Johnson said the treatment can focus a powerful beam directly on the cancer, limiting damage to healthy cells and helping patients get back to normal life more quickly.
Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray said the move was an important step in delivering the National Cancer Plan and expanding access to innovative cancer treatments closer to home. The NHS also said its latest data show it is diagnosing or ruling out cancer more quickly than at any point on record.
For patients with questions about whether the treatment is suitable for them, NHS England said they should speak to their specialist team. The rollout marks another stage in the health service’s wider effort to modernise cancer care while reducing pressure on hospital capacity. Source
