NHS ENGLAND TO OFFER PRECISION RADIOTHERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER

NHS England will offer a high-powered precision radiotherapy technique to men in England diagnosed with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer, cutting the number of treatment sessions from 20 to five. The technique, known as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), targets cancer more precisely than standard radiotherapy and is expected to reduce side-effects. Of the 55,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in England each year, around 17,500 fall into the low- or intermediate-risk category. Modelling indicates approximately 3,500 of those patients are likely to take up the treatment.

SABR is already available to patients with other cancer types, including lung and brain, but this marks the first time it will be offered to low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients outside of clinical trials. NHS England said all 48 radiotherapy centres across the country are expected to begin offering the treatment within weeks. National clinical director for cancer Professor Peter Johnson said the technology allows clinicians to focus a precise beam directly on to the cancer, limiting damage to healthy cells. Prostate Cancer UK's Amy Rylance welcomed the announcement, saying the treatment would reduce the burden cancer places on patients and their families.

Trials are already under way to assess whether SABR can be extended to high-risk prostate cancer patients. Edwin Lambert, from Suffolk, is currently participating in one such trial, having been diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2025 and commenced hormone therapy. Some men with low-risk prostate cancer opt for active monitoring rather than immediate treatment, given how slowly such cancers typically develop. The rollout represents the first routine use of this radiotherapy approach for this patient group within the NHS.