Half the time with same results: Newcastle clinicians at forefront of prostate cancer treatment trial

In one corner is the traditional eight-week treatment for radiation therapy, but in the other is a four-week treatment using higher doses of radiation – a practice that has already been accepted in some hospitals including Calvary Mater Newcastle.

And it is one that has drawn praise from patients in remote areas who live with the tyranny of distance from medical care and are eager to avoid invasive surgery.

“It’s a month less treatment for exactly the same cure rates,” said Calvary radiation oncologist Dr Jarad Martin, who headed up the Australian trial.

“For patients, it’s a really easy sell.”

The trial began in 2005 with more than 1200 prostate cancer patients from around the world.

About 200 of those patients were from Australia, Dr Martin said, and based in every major city and regional centres including Newcastle.

The results of the trial, recently published in the ​Journal of Clinical Oncology, concluded that shorter treatment using higher doses of radiation “should be considered for intermediate-risk prostate cancer” and did not lead to increased late toxicity.

“The journal has really acknowledged that this is likely to be a practice-changing piece of research,” Dr Martin said. “You have a very high cure rate of 85 per cent in half the time.

“For the guys who are travelling in from Singleton, Port Stephens or elsewhere in the Hunter, it means less disruption to their lives.”

Pokolbin’s Gordon Scriven, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago and part was of the trial, said his experience with the four-week radiation therapy was “unbelievable”.

He said he knew of others with prostate cancer who opted for surgery and felt after-effects for some time.

“My after-effects were very mild. Generally, I was up and walking after treatment,” Mr Scriven said.

“I didn’t stop playing golf, which worked for me.”