Advanced radiotherapy for prostate cancer to cut sessions from 20 to five

Thousands of men in England who have prostate cancer will be offered high-powered precision radiotherapy that will slash the number of treatment sessions they need from 20 to just five.

Senior doctors said the technique – called SABR (stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) - would target the disease more effectively than standard radiotherapy and help reduce side-effects.

The treatment is already offered to some patients with other types of cancer, including lung and brain.

This is the first time it will be offered to low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients outside of trials.

Of the 55,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, around 17,500 are deemed low or intermediate risk.

Modelling suggests a fifth of those - around 3,500 - are likely to take up the option of this form of radiotherapy.

That is largely because some with low-risk prostate cancer opt instead for active monitoring, rather than immediate treatment, since these cancers are very slow growing and may not cause harm.

NHS England said it expected all 48 radiotherapy centres around the country to start offering the treatment "within weeks".