A breakthrough radiotherapy being rolled out on the NHS could wipe out prostate cancer in most men in just a single session, a trial found.
From earlier this month, some radiotherapy centres in England started to let men swap from standard radiotherapy that needs 20 sessions to a new high-power version that can be done in five.
Now an early stage trial by the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland suggests this could be safely and effectively reduced further to just one.
The precision treatment, named stereotactic radiotherapy (SABR), uses higher doses of radiation and fires beams at the tumour from multiple directions.
This allows doctors to cut sessions, while reducing the risk of tumours growing or spreading and sparing healthy tissue.
Charities described the reduction in sessions as ‘transformative’ as it allows doctors to cut waiting lists faster and saves men the inconvenience of making so many trips to hospital.
Some NHS hospitals started using SABR for prostate cancer this month after previous UK-led clinical trials demonstrated its effectiveness over five sessions.
NHS England said all 48 centres will have the machines and staff to offer SABR within three months and it will await further trial results before deciding whether to adopt the ‘one and done’ regimen.
The precision treatment, named stereotactic radiotherapy (SABR), uses higher doses of radiation and fires beams at the tumour from multiple directions, allowing doctors to cut sessions.
SABR is typically delivered in five doses – or fractions – over a fortnight, compared with at least 20 doses with standard radiotherapy.
The new trial examined the single dose treatment in 43 men with localised prostate cancer at five hospitals across Europe and the United States.
Analysis indicated 92.9 per cent were free of prostate cancer after three years, based on their PSA blood test results.
The UK typically uses the acronym SABR, while the US uses SBRT for stereotactic body radiotherapy, which is the same treatment.
Publishing their findings in the medical journal JAMA Oncology, the researchers wrote: ‘These data indicate that single-fraction SBRT remains a promising approach, although its definitive role will require confirmation in larger cohorts with longer follow-up.
‘Nevertheless, the present results deserve serious consideration in regard to the role of single-fraction radiotherapy treatments.’
The Daily Mail is campaigning for better diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, and the introduction of a targeted screening programme, in a bid to end needless deaths.
Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said the NHS is ‘transforming treatment for thousands of men with prostate cancer’.
Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: ‘The NHS is transforming treatment for thousands of men with prostate cancer and is already rolling out a five-dose high-powered ‘precision’ radiotherapy to target the disease more effectively.
‘We will continue to monitor the research as evidence emerges and are committed to making sure NHS patients continue to have the best and most effective cancer treatments.’
David James, director of patient projects and influencing at Prostate Cancer Research, said: ‘Anything that safely reduces the burden of treatment for men with prostate cancer is worth exploring, and these results are certainly encouraging.
‘The prospect of treating some men in a single session rather than over multiple hospital visits could be transformative for both patients and the NHS.
‘However, this was an early-phase study in a relatively small number of patients, so larger studies and longer follow-up are needed.
‘Innovations like this show why sustained investment in prostate cancer research matters.
‘With more funding, we can accelerate the development of treatments that are not only effective, but also less disruptive to patients’ lives and more efficient for the NHS.’
Simon Grieveson, assistant director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘Recent progress means many men can now have radiotherapy in just five sessions instead of the twenty they previously needed – a huge step forward that cuts time in hospital and eases pressure on the NHS.
‘The idea that this might be reduced further to a single session is an exciting prospect, making treatment much quicker and easier for men.
‘While these results are promising, this was an early stage trial involving a small number of men.
‘We now need larger trials which also directly compares this shorter schedule to current practice, so that we can be sure that reducing treatment to just one session works just as well and doesn’t cause more side effects.
‘It’s also important to ensure that men receive the right treatment for their cancer as some men with lower risk prostate cancers could be safely monitored instead and avoid treatment altogether.
‘If proven safe and effective in further trials, this could be another big leap forward in how we treat prostate cancer.’
