POINTER-PC: Enhancing radiotherapy for prostate cancer

A different way of treating people with prostate cancer is being investigated by researchers at the University of Leeds.

Led by Dr Ann Henry, a £1.1 million trial will explore how radiotherapy can be made more effective for men whose cancer has come back following an initial course of treatment intended to cure it.

Radiotherapy is usually given in three to five treatment visits and only targets the area directly affected by the cancer. By widening the area targeted, the treatment may be better at stopping the cancer from spreading. This alternative method is usually given in 20 treatment visits, but the research team will test if it could also be given in five visits without increasing side effects.