Health UK (Commonwealth Union) – A recent study conducted by researchers from Imperial College London, published in the Journal of Medical Economics, reveals that minimally invasive focal therapies for prostate cancer offer a more cost-effective and improved quality of life for patients.
In comparison to conventional approaches such as surgery or radiotherapy, focal therapies like cryotherapy and High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) prove to be economically advantageous and result in enhanced patient well-being. By selectively targeting and treating only the cancerous areas in the prostate through cryotherapy’s freezing or HIFU’s heating techniques, the normal prostate tissue remains unaffected. This targeted approach minimizes damage to surrounding nerves, blood vessels, and muscles, consequently reducing the risk of urinary, sexual, and bowel side effects when compared to prostatectomy surgery or radiotherapy.
Despite the benefits, the adoption of focal therapy for prostate cancer in the UK remains limited, with surgical removal or irradiation of the entire prostate gland being more common. In this comprehensive study, a collaboration between Boston Scientific, Imperial College London researchers, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, and others, data from over 1,300 patients treated at five hospitals between 2006 and 2018 was analyzed.
The research team developed an economic model to compare the costs and outcomes of focal therapy, prostatectomy surgery, and radiotherapy for up to a decade post-treatment. Utilizing information from prostate cancer patients, published literature, and clinical insights, the model predicted treatment pathways, costs incurred, and the resulting patient benefits in terms of effectiveness and quality of life.
The findings highlight that focal therapy, employing either cryotherapy or HIFU, not only incurs a lower overall cost but also provides greater patient benefits compared to surgery or radiotherapy. This suggests that focal therapy offers good value for money within the NHS, and notably, it is associated with fewer sexual, urinary, and rectal side effects for patients. Furthermore, focal therapy demonstrates superior gains in quality-adjusted life years (QALY) at a lower overall cost when compared to radical prostatectomy or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).
Professor Hashim Ahmed who is Chair of Urology at Imperial College London, and Consultant Urological Surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, says “Our study is the first to show that focal therapy, using either cryotherapy or high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to destroy prostate cancers, was associated with a lower overall cost and improved quality of life for patients compared to either surgery or radiotherapy.
“This is because focal therapy precisely targets individual cancers in the prostate leading to less tissue damage, quicker recovery and much fewer side-effects. The treatment is also effective at treating cancers. Most patients with prostate cancer currently have radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy which treats the whole prostate.
Xavier Bertrand, Vice President of Peripheral Interventions for Boston Scientific in EMEA, expressed enthusiasm about the research findings, indicating that the results are excellent news for patients and a positive development for the healthcare system. The UK government has explicitly acknowledged the significance of medical technology in enhancing patient outcomes. Ensuring equal access to this minimally invasive cancer treatment could play a crucial role in addressing current issues among patients with prostate cancer in the UK.
The researchers, however, acknowledge certain limitations in their work. They point out that the study’s reliance on a limited number of hospitals resulted in the exclusion of potential alternative treatment options. Additionally, there is a scarcity of data on later outcomes and a complete absence of quality-of-life data, leading the researchers to rely on estimates derived from existing literature.
Professor Ahmed further indicated that Focal therapy not only proves to be cost-effective within the NHS but also offers lower side effects and an improved quality of life compared to traditional treatments. This advancement could potentially benefit approximately 10,000 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year.
