Thousands of men in England with prostate cancer will now have their treatment cut from 20 sessions to just five, thanks to a new precision radiotherapy technique being rolled out on the NHS. The treatment, called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), uses high-powered beams from multiple angles to target tumours more precisely than standard radiotherapy, limiting damage to healthy cells and reducing side-effects.
SABR is being offered for the first time to men with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer that has not spread. Of the 55,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, around 17,500 fall into these categories. Modelling suggests about a fifth of them—roughly 3,500 men—are likely to take up this option, as some with low-risk cancer instead choose active monitoring because their cancers are slow-growing.
“SABR radiotherapy for prostate cancer cuts sessions from 20 to five on the NHS.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in British men, affecting one in eight over their lifetime and killing about 11,500 men each year. Standard radiotherapy typically involves 20 sessions over several weeks, which can cause fatigue and other side-effects. SABR has already been used on the NHS for lung and brain tumours, and now trials have shown it works for prostate cancer.
For UK patients, the benefits are clear: fewer hospital visits, quicker recovery, and less disruption to daily life. Edwin Lambert, 70, from Suffolk, took part in a trial and said the treatment was "an absolute godsend". Within five weeks of his final session, he was able to take part in an archaeological dig. He experienced some side-effects during treatment, such as needing to urinate more often, but found it far easier than standard radiotherapy he saw others undergoing. NHS cancer director Professor Peter Johnson said the technology "lets us focus a powerful and precise beam of radiotherapy directly on to the cancer" and helps men "get back to living their lives far more quickly".
Q: What is SABR radiotherapy? SABR (stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) is a highly precise form of radiotherapy that delivers high doses of radiation to a tumour from multiple angles. It kills more cancer cells while causing less damage to surrounding healthy tissue, and can be given in fewer sessions than conventional radiotherapy.
Q: Who is eligible for SABR on the NHS? The treatment is being offered to men in England with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer that has not spread. Around 17,500 men a year fall into this category, though not all will choose immediate treatment—some prefer active monitoring. NHS England expects all 48 radiotherapy centres to offer SABR within weeks.
Q: How does SABR differ from standard radiotherapy? Standard radiotherapy for prostate cancer typically requires 20 separate sessions over several weeks, often causing fatigue and other side-effects. SABR reduces the number of sessions to just five, delivered over a shorter period, and because it is more targeted, it limits damage to healthy cells and reduces side-effects.
The rollout of SABR across England's NHS radiotherapy centres is expected to begin within weeks. Trials are already under way to see whether the technique can also be used for men with high-risk prostate cancer, which could extend the benefits to even more patients in the future. Prostate Cancer UK has welcomed the move and hopes it will eventually become available to a wider group of men.