The minimally invasive treatment could match the outcomes of conventional therapies while sharply reducing complication rates

A groundbreaking decade-long NHS investigation has revealed a targeted approach to treating prostate cancer delivers outcomes comparable to conventional surgery or radiotherapy while dramatically cutting the likelihood of debilitating complications.

The research, conducted by Imperial College London and tracking approximately 3,500 patients, demonstrates focal therapy – which employs concentrated ultrasound waves or cryotherapy to eliminate tumours – reduces the risk of urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction by more than 50 per cent.

Scientists behind the study describe the findings as "excellent", with the results expected to intensify demands for broader patient access to this less invasive option.

Currently, just ten specialist centres across England provide the treatment, leaving thousands of eligible men without this alternative each year.

The vast majority of participants in the trial had been diagnosed with intermediate or high-risk prostate cancer, yet remarkably only two patients succumbed to the disease over the ten-year follow-up period.

Prof Hashim Ahmed, consultant urologist at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, stated the findings demonstrated "focal therapy delivers excellent long-term cancer control across a broad range of patients".

"It makes a compelling case for more centres to offer this treatment," he added.

The treatment, which has existed for over two decades, currently reaches merely 1,000 men annually in Britain – despite an estimated 15,000 patients being suitable candidates.

However, the approach remains unsuitable for those whose cancer has spread to multiple areas of the prostate or beyond the gland itself.

Rob Huxford, who received his diagnosis at the age of 44 in 2020, considers himself "incredibly fortunate" to have been offered the procedure.

"My outcomes have been fantastic," he said. "I have no long-term issues at all, and it feels pretty unfair that this isn't offered to men across the whole country. It was the fact that I live in London that I was offered that treatment."

Paul Sayer, the 70-year-old founder of the charity Prost8 UK, has likewise undergone focal therapy successfully.

"Our hope is that this evidence marks the point where every suitable man is routinely offered focal therapy as part of his treatment choices, regardless of where he lives," he tells the BBC.

"This research shouldn't just change clinical practice – it should change conversations in every consulting room across the UK."

The limited rollout stems primarily from NICE's reluctance to approve focal therapy as standard treatment, citing insufficient long-term evidence — a gap this study now addresses.

Consequently, NHS hospitals face no obligation to provide the option, creating what campaigners have branded a "postcode lottery" with no routine access outside England.

Last month, ministers pledged up to £2.8million to establish additional treatment centres across the country.

Health Innovation and Safety Minister Preet Kaur Gill said: "Our National Cancer Plan sets out our ambition to transform cancer care, and backing innovations like focal therapy is exactly how we are delivering on that promise."

The findings may also prove pivotal for future screening initiatives, as concerns about treatment side effects have historically hindered efforts to introduce nationwide prostate cancer screening.

A separate £60million trial is currently examining how focal therapy might integrate with rapid MRI scans to enable earlier detection programmes.