Thousands of men with prostate cancer are to be offered
high-powered precision' radiotherapy on the NHS to target the
disease more effectively, helping reduce side-effects and
spare them 15 courses of treatment.
NHS England has today announced that, for the first time,
eligible men with early prostate cancer will be offered
pioneering therapy known as SABR on the NHS, which delivers a
higher dose to the tumour with pinpoint accuracy to avoid harming
healthy cells.
The highly targeted SABR (stereotactic ablative radiotherapy)
delivers radiotherapy to the tumour from many different
directions to help reduce the risk of cancer spreading or
returning, and has been proven to be effective at far fewer doses
than conventional radiotherapy.
The cutting-edge technique will be made available within days and
will significantly reduce the number of hospital visits required
for treatment, enabling thousands of men to spend more time at
work or at home with their loved ones.
SABR is typically delivered in 5 doses within a fortnight,
compared to at least 20 doses with standard (external beam)
radiotherapy, which can be a major burden for patients and loved
ones, due to the substantial treatment and travel time.
NHS chief executive Sir Jim Mackey said the news will transform
treatment for thousands of men with localised prostate cancer,
and help the NHS provide far more powerful and more convenient
cancer care.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with
over 55,000 men being diagnosed every year and around 12,300
still losing their lives.
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 radiotherapy.
Modelling by the NHS suggests nearly a fifth of men with this
form of cancer (around 3,500) may choose to take up the option of
SABR to treat their cancer and reduce the risk of it spreading.
It is expected that SABR for localised prostate cancer will be
offered at all 48 radiotherapy providers across England, with the
first centres making it available from next week.
The roll-out is being made possible following government
investment in new linear accelerator machines across the country,
and comes as part of a new NHS and government drive to transform
cancer care in England.
Sir Jim Mackey, NHS chief executive,
said: This cutting-edge approach will transform
treatment for thousands of men with prostate cancer, helping the
NHS provide far more powerful and convenient care to stop their
cancer spreading.
Having been proven effective in keeping cancer under control,
this technology will not only help reduce the risk of certain
side effects but also the major to-and-fro' burden of hospital
treatment, which can be really draining for so many patients and
their families.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director
for cancer, said: This technology lets us focus a
powerful and precise beam of radiotherapy directly onto the
cancer, limiting the damage to healthy cells and the fact it can
be delivered in 15 fewer doses will help men get back to living
their lives far more quickly.
It is an important step to make this pioneering treatment
available on the NHS, following trials that were led by the UK
although it is not suitable for everyone with localised
prostate cancer, we'd encourage anyone with questions about their
treatment options to speak to their specialist team.
It is estimated that the roll-out could free up around 50,000
appointments for prostate cancer treatment each year, helping the
NHS continue to bring down waiting times for patients.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, , said: "Thousands of
men with prostate cancer will benefit from this pioneering
precision radiotherapy, helping them access faster, more
effective treatment while reducing the strain that cancer care
can place on patients and their families.
"Backed by the Government's £70 million investment in
radiotherapy machines, this treatment targets tumours with
greater accuracy, helping to reduce side-effects and allowing
many patients to complete their treatment in a fraction of the
time compared with conventional radiotherapy.
"This is an important step in delivering our National Cancer
Plan, expanding access to innovative cancer treatments ensuring
more patients benefit from the latest advances in cancer care
closer to home."
Thanks to the hard work of staff, latest data shows the NHS is
diagnosing or ruling out cancer more quickly than at any point on
record, with around four in five patients receiving a diagnosis
or the all-clear within four weeks in February and March and
nearly 92% of patients starting cancer treatment within a month
in 2025/26.
