Benefits Of Prostate Cancer Focal Therapy That Are Cost-Effective

(CTN News) – Imperial College London’s study in the Journal of Medical Economics found that cryotherapy and HIFU are prostate cancer less invasive and cost-effective treatments for prostate cancer.

They offer better outcomes and improve patient’s quality of life compared to traditional surgery or radiotherapy.

Cryotherapy and HIFU treatments target prostate cancer while sparing healthy tissue, reducing the risk of side effects. Focal therapy is a precise alternative to surgery or radiotherapy.

A recent analysis by researchers from Boston Scientific and Imperial College London, in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, examined data from over 1,300 prostate cancer patients treated at five hospitals between 2006 and 2018.

They compared the costs and outcomes of focal therapy with surgery or radiotherapy over a period of up to 10 years after treatment.

The prediction of treatment pathways, costs, and outcomes in prostate cancer was conducted by researchers who utilized data from patients, along with existing literature and clinical input.

The findings of the study revealed that focal therapy, specifically cryotherapy or HIFU, exhibited reduced overall costs and increased patient benefits compared to surgery or radiotherapy. These results indicate that focal therapy is a cost-effective option for the NHS, as it leads to Prostate Cancer fewer sexual, urinary, and rectal side effects.

Additionally, it resulted in greater gains in quality-adjusted life years (QALY) at a lower expense when compared to radical prostatectomy or external beam radiotherapy.

Professor Hashim Ahmed, Chair of Urology at Imperial College London and Consultant Urological Surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, has found that focal therapy using cryotherapy or high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a groundbreaking and cost-effective treatment for prostate cancer, improving patients’ quality of life compared to surgery or radiotherapy.

Focal therapy targets individual prostate cancers,

Causing less harm, faster recovery, and fewer side effects than conventional methods.

Xavier Bertrand of Boston Scientific highlights the benefits for patients and the healthcare system. Widening access to this minimally invasive treatment could improve prostate cancer care in the UK.

The researchers have acknowledged certain constraints in their study, including a limited number of hospitals that excluded certain treatment options. Additionally, there were limitations in obtaining data on long-term outcomes and quality of life, which resulted in estimates based on existing literature.

However, Professor Ahmed highlights that focal therapy offers significant value for the Prostate Cancer NHS, as it presents fewer side effects and enhances the overall quality of life when compared to conventional treatments.

The study, which received support from the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and funding from Boston Scientific Corporation, indicates potential advantages for around 10,000 UK patients who are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.

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