Life saving treatment for prostate cancer

NICE reverse decision on life saving treatment for prostate cancer

The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) originally recommended in 2004 that the therapy should be offered for free on the NHS, but has now presented new guidance for treatment of prostate cancer that restricts use of (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) HIFU in the NHS.  

HIFU is only routinely available privately to the 35,000 British men diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. In the UK, a third of men over 50 contract prostate cancer and 10,000 men die annually. In use across Europe, (where over 15,000 men have successfully been treated), HIFU blasts cancerous cells without even breaking the skin. As a result, HIFU is far less likely to lead to devastating side effects such as impotence or incontinence compared with surgery or conventional radiotherapy treatment. (can we reference – if not, leave out?)

The robotic ultrasound treatment is part of a generation of medical procedures that can diagnose and treat the body's ailments using nothing more invasive than sound waves.

Paul Miller, the UK’s leading expert in HIFU treatment and Consultant Urological Surgeon at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital for the Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, is disappointed by the NICE decision: ‘HIFU is an extremely effective option for patients with localised prostate cancer who want a less invasive treatment. I have treated patients both privately and on the NHS and its success rate speaks for itself.  A recent European study of 402 patients with localised prostate cancer has shown 87.2% had negative biopsies five years after treatment. I am saddened that tens of thousands of British men will now be denied the chance to beat this disease effectively and quickly on the NHS.’

The HIFU Clinic at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital was the first centre in the UK to offer HIFU treatment. Founded by Paul and fellow urological surgeon Tim Larner, the centre specialises in diagnosing and treating the most common form of male cancer. Tim Larner commented last night; ‘There is currently a very high demand from patients for advanced, non invasive procedures such as HIFU. Nowadays, patients are well informed and reluctant to undergo complicated surgery unless absolutely necessary’.

Stephen James who paid for his treatment at The HIFU Clinic in 2007 has had fantastic results; ‘If you are anything like me, when you think cancer treatment, you immediately think chemotherapy.  But when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer I began to research treatment options and it was then that I came across HIFU’.

‘Following treatment, the recovery period was minimal compared to what I had expected and I was up and about again in a matter of days. I would recommend this procedure to anyone who finds themselves in my position. It has been the best decision my family and I have ever made.’

For more information about HIFU treatment at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital please call 01293 778966.

 More information about HIFU treatment can be found at: www.hifu.org.uk