NHS to Provide Life-Extending Form of Radiotherapy Via Movember-Funded Research

Thousands of men in England with prostate cancer will benefit from a life-extending form of radiotherapy on the NHS, thanks to Movember-funded research.

Around 2,300 men a year with an incurable form of the disease will have immediate access to external beam radiotherapy, which targets the affected area with doses of radiation.

Combined with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), the new regime can extend the period between treatment and the time the disease takes to progress by over three months, delaying the need for any other treatment and giving men the chance to live a normal life for longer.

Research funded by Movember, along with our partner PCUK, through the Belfast-Manchester Movember Centre of Excellence, allowed researchers headed by Professor Noel Clarke, to analyse thousands of images of men from the STAMPEDE trial and work out which men would benefit from this treatment – which is normally used to treat localised cancer.

The evidence showed that the treatment would be of most benefit to men whose cancer had spread to just a few sites outside the prostate.

Paul Villanti, Movember’s executive director of programs, says: “One of Movember’s most important research priorities is the earlier identification of and treatment for men at risk of aggressive types of prostate cancer.

“We’re delighted that Movember-funded research has provided the evidence needed for NHS England to make this treatment available to men whose cancer has begun to spread outside the prostate. It will mean these men get precious extra time with their loved ones. We will continue to invest in research that leads to further breakthroughs.”