A hospital in London, UK, is set to begin treating its first prostate cancer patient this week within a time frame of just one week. The British newspaper "The Times" reported that this treatment represents an experiment by the Royal Marsden Hospital aiming to confirm that administering radiation therapy in two large doses is safe and effective, unlike the current practice of smaller doses over extended periods. British researchers previously found that the usual dosage for prostate cancer treatment, which consists of 20 doses spread over an entire month, can be safely administered in just 5 doses over a week or two.
The lead researcher and oncology consultant, Alison Tree, stated that men can come to the hospital, receive treatment, and then return to their normal activities, completely forgetting about the cancer. Approximately 50,000 British men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, making it the most common type of cancer among men in Britain. Reducing the number of treatment sessions from 20 to just 2 could save millions of pounds for the UK health authorities and enable radiotherapy units to treat more patients.
Tree added that experiences and techniques have accumulated among doctors, making them less likely to target healthy tissue while fighting cancer. The doctor had previously mentioned that the new technique has shown very promising results with few side effects. One current option for patients with this type of cancer is surgery to remove the prostate, but this often leaves many men suffering from erectile dysfunction and urinary issues. Another treatment option is radiation therapy, which involves bombarding the prostate with X-rays that can destroy cancerous cells, but it also has negative side effects.
