- Call for a change to the way radiotherapy is delivered for men with cancer
- Trial found it was just as effective to have fewer, more powerful doses
- There are long-term side effects of radiotherapy including impotence
Ben Spencer Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail
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Giving prostate cancer patients fewer, more powerful doses of radiotherapy could halve the side effects, a major study has found.
Scientists last night called for a change to the way radiotherapy is delivered for men with prostate cancer – after their trial found it was just as effective, cheaper, safer and more convenient for patients.
Radiotherapy is a highly effective way to treat prostate cancer, particularly if it is given at an early stage of the disease, when it permanently eradicates 60 per cent of tumours.
But it can involve long-term side effects, including impotence and bowel problems, and even bladder cancer in the future.
Radiotherapy is a highly effective way to treat prostate cancer, particularly if it is given at an early stage of the disease, when it permanently eradicates 60 per cent of tumours
At the moment standard radiotherapy treatment involves visiting a hospital every day for 37 days to receive a low-power dose of radiation.
In a 14-year trial of 3,200 patients, scientists increased the power of the radiation by 50 per cent, and reduced the number of sessions to 20.
The trial, led by the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research in London, showed that the shorter treatment plan was just as effective.
And crucially, the number of side effects reported were halved after a two-year follow-up, according to results published in the Lancet Oncology medical journal.
Each year more than 41,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Britain, and one in four of them undergo radiotherapy.
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The researchers are calling for the NHS to change its guidelines to the shorter regime in a bid to reduce side effects and save money.
Similar changes to breast cancer radiotherapy plans have saved the NHS £50million a year since 2009.
Some hospitals have already switched to the new regime for prostate cancer – but the researchers now want the NHS to make it standardised across the country.
They say new regime would save 17 hospital trips and complex radiotherapy treatments for each patient, leading to a reduction nationally of more than 150,000 visits per year.
The trial followed men treated for prostate cancer between 2002 and 2011 at more than 70 research centres across the UK.
Each year more than 41,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Britain, and one in four of them undergo radiotherapy
Study leader Professor David Dearnaley said: ‘If the new regime is incorporated into routine clinical practice, it will save the NHS tens of millions of pounds per year as well as freeing up space for other patients to have radiotherapy more quickly.’
Dr Emma Hall, who co-led the work, said: ‘Our trial showed this modern radiotherapy is as effective when used over 20 days as over 37 days, the present standard regime.
‘Our results also show that using state-of-the art radiotherapy methods significantly reduces the treatment side effects that matter to patients.’
Professor Arnie Purushotham of Cancer Research UK, which part-funded the research, said: ‘Shorter overall treatment ultimately means fewer trips to the hospital, and less disruption to men and their families is to be a good thing.
‘It’s clear that this is safe and effective, so it’s now up to the NHS to ensure all men who are suitable are offered this treatment immediately. It will save NHS resources and benefit men.’
Karen Sumpter of Prostate Cancer UK said: ‘One of the challenges for men receiving radiotherapy is the exhausting impact and cost of travelling to and from hospital for regular treatment. This could make some men reluctant to choose radiotherapy as a treatment altogether.
‘However, the results of this research reveal that men can get the same benefit from radiotherapy with fewer visits, which could swing the decision for many, as well as providing a more cost effective solution for the NHS.
‘We would like to see this new regime rolled out at radiotherapy centres throughout the UK as quickly as possible.’
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