Men who suffer from prostate cancer may start to breathe a little easier now that encouraging news has been released on a new form of treatment.
A new treatment for prostate cancer can rid the disease from nine in ten men without debilitating side effects, a study has found, leading to new hope for tens of thousands of men.No word on when we can expect to see this treatment performed on a routine basis, but it is still very good news in a world were it seems that gloom and doom are de rigueur.
It is hoped the new treatment, which involves heating only the tumours with a highly focused ultrasound, will mean men can be treated without an overnight stay in hospital and avoiding the distressing side effects associated with current therapies.
A study has found that focal HIFU, high-intensity focused ultrasound, provides the 'perfect' outcome of no major side effects and free of cancer 12 months after treatment, in nine out of ten cases.
Traditional surgery or radiotherapy can only provide the perfect outcome in half of cases currently.
Experts have said the results are 'very encouraging' and were a 'paradigm' shift in treatment of the disease.
It is hoped that large scale trials can now begin so the treatment could be offered routinely on the NHS within five years.
5 comments:
Most of the science eureka moments out of the UK have not been so long lasting.
Lets hope that with a 5yr. testing period and results finding, for the longevity concerning most of those in need of a cure will not only benefit the most elderly; maybe, some of the younger elders will have something to hope for.
Whoopie!
TSWS - you're right, not a lot of good NHS news coming out of Merry Olde. Unfortunately it will prolly be 8 years or more before we'll see this in the US.
I remember back around 2000 my FIL getting into an experimental FDA program for a new type of pacemaker that was already being proscribed in Europe for at least five years previous. For better or worse, Europe gets these innovations into mainstream medicine a lot faster than the US.
Odie - time to be kind to your prostate.
One thing to think about, is that with socialized medicine, the ability to sue for damages is much less (if at all) of a risk. Europeans are being used as guinea pigs for whatever medicine wants to try. What you don't hear about is all of those procedures and medicines that completely mess people up. Of course, they do have "free medical" for life, and add themselves to the rolls of government payees. But... is that worth it? I won't even allow a heart transplant because I think it's a monstrosity.
So... I'd rather have things move more slowly and surely, here. When it all comes out in the wash, Europe is going to be considered nearly as despotic as the Angel of Death ever could have dreamed, I would guess. Science (and medicine is science) divorced from conscience (God) is a rather sinister thing.
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