A new study evaluates focal therapy against radical prostatectomy for men who have a recurrence of cancer after radiotherapy treatment.

Up to a third of men who opted for standard radiotherapy to treat their prostate cancer will suffer a recurrence of cancer. When the cancer returns, there are few options and many men have not survived after 5 years of initial treatment. Radical prostatectomy may be an option, but often the damage to the prostate from the original radiotherapy precludes this, and there are limited other options.

Radical prostatectomy often has significant consequences including lifelong incontinence and impotence, so the salvage focal therapy described has been compared with radical prostatectomy. The study has concluded that life extension with this therapy is equal to that of radical prostatectomy, but without the consequences.

Focal therapy treatments are regularly available in NHS centres, so these results can be applied immediately.

When twinned with SABR targetted radiotherapy, this offers a less invasive process for men hesitating with the potential devastating consequences of radical prostatectomy.