Thanks to research led by The Royal Marsden, eligible prostate cancer patients across the NHS could now receive radiotherapy treatment in fewer sessions – from 20 to just five.
The NHS expects to offer this practice-changing treatment at all the 48 radiotherapy providers across England. NHS England has also estimated that this form of treatment could free up around 50,000 appointments for prostate cancer treatment every year, helping to reduce patient waiting times.
Professor Nicholas van As, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden and Chief Investigator of the PACE-B trial, said:
“The news demonstrates the value of clinical research in improving cancer care. At The Royal Marsden and the ICR, we are focused on developing smarter, better and kinder treatments for patients across the UK and around the world.”
What does this mean for patients across the country?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.
Every year, NHS England estimates that over 55,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Around 17,500 of those are diagnosed with low- or intermediate-risk cancer and could now be offered this breakthrough treatment which requires fewer sessions than conventional radiotherapy.
What did the groundbreaking research show?
The PACE-B trial, led by Professor Nicholas van As at The Royal Marsden, used the CyberKnife to deliver radiotherapy to patients with localised prostate cancer.
Results from the trial showed that patients can receive highly precise radiotherapy called SABR in fewer sessions with the same effectiveness as patients receiving conventional radiotherapy. Eligible prostate cancer patients could now be offered this option which safely cuts radiotherapy treatment time by 75%.
Alastair, a patient at The Royal Marsden and participant of the PACE-B trial shares his story.
“For a healthcare system and for patients, to have this treatment delivered just as effectively in five days as opposed to four weeks is hugely significant.”
Together, we’re revolutionising cancer treatment and care
Thanks to your ongoing donations, we’ve supported life-changing research at The Royal Marsden over the past decade which is now benefiting prostate cancer patients at the hospital and beyond.
- Together, we’ve funded a state-of-the-art CyberKnife radiotherapy machine in Chelsea and a second CyberKnife in Sutton
- Thanks to funding from the Charity, The Royal Marsden became one of the first NHS hospitals to offer radiotherapy treatment to patients using the CyberKnife
- With your support, the CyberKnife was used in the groundbreaking PACE research trials
- Patients with early-stage prostate cancer experienced fewer side effects after radiotherapy delivered by the CyberKnife compared to undergoing surgery in results from the PACE-A trial
- Further breakthrough research showed prostate cancer patients could be treated with high-precision radiation in fewer sessions – cutting treatment time by 75%. This international trial called PACE-B was led by The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR)
- Following these results, NHS England announced in June 2026 that thousands of people with prostate cancer will be offered new treatment. The rollout is to take place across all NHS radiotherapy centres in the country with the first centres making it available in the weeks following the announcement.
What is the CyberKnife?
The CyberKnife is a non-invasive robotic radiotherapy system which can deliver treatment to patients with pinpoint accuracy. By delivering treatment directly to the tumour, less healthy tissue is damaged in the process, so patients may experience fewer side effects.
As the CyberKnife’s robotic arm can be positioned at almost any angle, this pioneering equipment is ideal for treating hard-to-reach tumours, such as prostate cancers but also for patients with brain, spinal, lung and neck cancers.
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has funded two CyberKnife machines in Chelsea and Sutton. Thanks to this funding, The Royal Marsden became one of the first NHS hospitals in the UK to offer treatment to patients using this novel technology.
What is SABR?
Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), also called stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), is a highly precise type of radiotherapy delivered directly to the tumour. By limiting the damage to surrounding healthy tissue, patient side effects can be reduced.
Further research for people with prostate cancer
We’re supporting further research like the PACE-C trial which tests if SABR delivered by the CyberKnife can be used alongside hormonal therapy to also reduce treatment time for higher-risk prostate cancer patients.
Following from the PACE trials, we’ve supported the HERMES study at The Royal Marsden. Using MRI-guided radiotherapy to deliver treatment directly to the tumour showed patients could receive even fewer sessions. Using MRI technology offers clinicians a clearer view of the prostate, helping target the tumour more precisely. With your support, we funded the MR Linac machine used in this study and supported staff roles to make the research possible.
Your donations ensure The Royal Marsden can continue to develop new, better treatment for people with cancer.
Find out how to support our work today.