New prostate cancer therapy could cut side effects

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Wednesday 04 Nov 2015 - 19:44 Makkah mean time-22-1-1437 Prostate Cancer Therapy. Image from nytimes London (IINA) - Experts have found that giving prostate cancer patients fewer more powerful doses of radiotherapy could halve the side effects, Mail Online reported. Changing the way in which radiotherapy is delivered could also save the National Health Service (NHS) tens of millions of pounds, the scientists said. Radiotherapy is an effective way to treat prostate cancer, particularly in the early stages, when it permanently eradicates 60 percent of tumours. But it can involve long-term side effects, including impotence and bowel and bladder problems. Radiotherapy treatment involves visiting a hospital every day for 37 days to receive a low-power dose of radiation, but in a 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 at the Royal Marsden 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. Researcher Dr Emma Hall, of the Institute of Cancer Research in London, said: ‘Radiotherapy technology has developed over recent years, meaning we can target doses to tumours more accurately and reduce the dose to surrounding tissue. ‘Our trial shows that modern radiotherapy allows men to undergo fewer, higher doses for the same result.’ Each year more than 41,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Britain. Roughly one in four of these men undergo radiotherapy. Study leader Professor David Dearnaley said: ‘Overall our results make a compelling case to change practice within the NHS and move from a 37-day regime to one that lasts 20 days. ‘As well as saving men from repeated hospital visits, this could save tens of millions of pounds per year.’ The researchers, who presented their data at the National Cancer Research Institute cancer conference in Liverpool, calculate that if the NHS adopts the 20-day plan, it would reduce the total number of hospital visits by 150,000 a year. Professor Malcolm Mason of Cancer Research UK, which funded the trial, said: ‘These results are great news for men. ‘From a logistical and patient convenience point of view, being able to treat patients over a shorter period of time has been a goal for specialists, but the question has always been whether it was safe to do so. ‘This study shows that it is safe and effective, and there should be no reason why this cannot be implemented immediately - it is saving the NHS resources.’ Ali Rooke, senior specialist nurse at Prostate Cancer UK, added: 'One of the challenges for men receiving radiotherapy is the exhausting impact of travelling to and from hospital for regular treatment. 'Some men may be reluctant to choose radiotherapy as a treatment option altogether because of the frequency in hospital appointments and the financial burden of travel. 'If advances in research can help men get the same benefit from radiotherapy with fewer visits, then that is good news.' SM/IINA