Radiotherapy as effective as surgery for prostate cancer

Key Points:

• A study presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting found that stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is as effective as surgical removal of the prostate (prostatectomy) for treating low-to-intermediate-risk prostate cancer, with similar long-term cancer control after eight years.
• SBRT, a highly precise radiotherapy delivered in five short sessions, resulted in fewer side effects such as urinary incontinence compared to surgery, with only 8.3% of patients using daily urinary pads versus 48% in the surgery group.
• The research, led by the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Cancer Research, tracked 123 patients over eight years and found 91.2% of SBRT patients remained cancer-free compared to 83.7% of those who had surgery.
• This evidence supports SBRT as a non-surgical treatment option that preserves urinary and sexual function better than prostatectomy, potentially influencing patient treatment decisions and national healthcare offerings.
• The findings come amid ongoing debates about prostate cancer screening in the UK, with targeted PSA testing recommended for high-risk groups such as black men and those with a family history, and plans to expand screening trials for black men from 2028.