Groundbreaking prostate treatment can save lives without sufferers having invasive surgery
Treatment using tiny popcorn-shaped beads could mean sufferers no longer have to go under the knife
A PIONEERING new treatment for men with enlarged prostates could see tens of thousands of sufferers treated without going under the knife, doctors will announce today.
Researchers have carried out a successful trial that saw tiny popcorn-shaped plastic beads used to block the blood supply to the enlarged gland and therefore shrink it, making surgery unnecessary.
The trial was conducted in Portugal but is now being followed-up in Britain, with the results expected later this year.
If it’s deemed a success, the treatment - prostate artery embolisation - could become routine on the NHS.
Dr Nigel Hacking, who will be leading the British study involving 200 patients across the UK, said: “It is very encouraging. I am always cautious about new techniques, but this procedure seems to be showing promise and it seems to be safe.”
The prostate is a small gland involved in semen production that sits between the penis and bladder.
If it becomes enlarged it puts pressure on the bladder and sufferers may need to urinate frequently, or find it hard to start urinating, or fully empty their bladders.
It can also lead to other complications, such as urine infections.
The condition affects 40 per cent of all men over 50 - with 45,000 sufferers forced to undergo risky ops each year to remove part of the gland.
The painful surgery is considered a last resort, because it could cause problems such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
The Portuguese study, which involved 1,000 middle-aged men, was led by Joao Martins Pisco at St Louis Hospital in Lisbon.
He said: “Within five years I think this replace surgery as the standard treatment.”
The treatment is performed under local anaesthetic on an outpatient basis, and the trial suggests it’s as effective as surgery with only two patients in the seven-year trial suffering side effects.
The findings are due to be announced by the Portuguese team at the Society of Interventional Radiology in Washington DC today.
In November last year it was reported men increase their risk of prostate cancer if they regularly drink beer.
Prostate cancer survivor David Hadley-Smith persuaded 40 of his golf club members to be tested for the disease.