News summary produced by Claude AI
Researchers at Imperial College London have published results from a decade-long NHS study examining focal therapy, a less invasive treatment for prostate cancer that uses high-intensity ultrasound or cryotherapy to target cancerous tissue. The study followed nearly 3,500 men who received the treatment, with nearly all having intermediate or high-risk prostate cancer. After 10 years, only two patients in the cohort had died from the disease.
The research demonstrates that focal therapy achieves cancer control outcomes equivalent to traditional surgery and radiotherapy while reducing the incidence of serious side effects by more than half. Common complications such as urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction occur less frequently with focal therapy compared to conventional approaches. Researchers characterize the findings as providing the long-term evidence that medical regulators previously identified as missing from the clinical record.
Despite its introduction more than two decades ago, focal therapy remains limited in availability across the UK. Currently, approximately 1,000 men annually receive the treatment, though estimates suggest up to 15,000 could be suitable candidates. Routine NHS access is restricted to 10 centres in England, with no provision elsewhere in the UK—a situation described as a postcode lottery by patient advocacy groups. The National Institute for Health Care Excellence has not approved focal therapy as a standard treatment option, partly due to previous gaps in long-term survival data.
Recent policy developments suggest potential expansion. Last month, the government allocated up to £2.8 million toward expanding focal therapy provision in England through new treatment centres. The Department of Health and additional organisations including Prostate Cancer UK have called for NICE to review the evidence and expand patient access. A separate £60 million screening trial known as Transform is investigating optimal approaches to prostate cancer screening by combining rapid MRI imaging with lower-harm treatments including focal therapy.
Prostate cancer represents the most common cancer diagnosis in UK men, with more than 64,000 annual diagnoses and approximately 12,000 deaths annually. Some medical experts note that randomised controlled trials comparing focal therapy directly to radical treatment approaches are needed to further establish its clinical position.