4 November 2015 - Institute of Cancer Research -- Changes to practice for prostate cancer radiotherapy could save the NHS tens of millions of pounds per year and reduce side-effects and inconvenience for patients, say the leaders of a major phase III clinical trial.

Researchers will present results of the major CHHiP trial today, showing the effectiveness of using a modern type of radiotherapy in higher doses over fewer hospital visits than is currently recommended on the NHS.

The trial leaders, from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said the findings supported a change in practice for prostate cancer radiotherapy, with daily treatment given in higher doses over 20 days, rather than lower doses over 37 days as happens now.
Similar trials from the same research group – led by The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden, and including more than 70 UK centres –proved the benefits of fewer, higher doses of radiation in breast cancer, and helped set NICE guidance that has saved the NHS around £50 million a year since 2009.

The new regime for prostate cancer would save 17 hospital trips and complex radiotherapy treatments for each patient leading to a reduction nationally of more than 150,000 visits per year.

Researchers will present the results after five years of the CHHiP trial at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool. They will tell delegates:

• The CHHiP trial has introduced modern quality-assured ‘intensity-modulated’ radiotherapy for prostate cancer to dozens of research centres across the UK.
• Treatment with fewer, higher doses of intensity-modulated radiotherapy than currently offered by the NHS delays progression of prostate cancer at least as effectively as greater numbers of lower doses.
• Treatment with fewer, higher doses of intensity-modulated radiotherapy is just as good for quality of life as the longer, lower-dose regime, and is associated with less than half the rate of side-effects of older conformal radiotherapy
• Taken together, the findings provide strong evidence to support a change in clinical practice for prostate cancer radiotherapy.

The trial, funded by Cancer Research UK, involved more than 3,200 men and compared the standard radiotherapy schedule of 37 doses of 2 Grays per day with two other regimes – one delivering 19 doses of 3 Gray per day, and the other 20 doses of 3 Gray per day. The results showed that the 20-dose schedule is not inferior to the 37-dose schedule for treatment effectiveness or quality of life.

More HCB News