Prostate cancer is a prevalent disease affecting men worldwide, with over 1.4 million new cases diagnosed each year. Radiotherapy has been a standard treatment option for many patients, offering outcomes comparable to surgery, especially for localized disease. This outpatient procedure allows patients to maintain their daily routines during treatment. However, traditional radiotherapy schedules can span several weeks, posing a burden on patients and healthcare systems.
A groundbreaking clinical trial, known as HYPO-RT-PC, has demonstrated that a significantly shorter course of radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer is just as safe and effective as the traditional eight-week schedule, even a decade after treatment. Presented at the annual congress of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO 2025) and published in the journal Radiotherapy and Oncology, these findings provide both patients and doctors with confidence in choosing the short-course approach, also referred to as “ultra hypo-fractionated radiotherapy.”
Led by researchers in Sweden, the study revealed that delivering precision radiotherapy over just two and a half weeks yields similar success in treating prostate cancer as the standard eight-week approach. Ten years post-treatment, both methods showed comparable disease control rates and survival outcomes. This validates the efficacy of the short-course radiotherapy regimen and reinforces its viability in clinical practice.
The Phase III clinical trial enrolled 1,200 men with intermediate- to high-risk localized prostate cancer. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a short-course radiotherapy regimen of 42.7 Gray (Gy) delivered in seven sessions over 2.5 weeks or a standard-course radiotherapy regimen of 78.0 Gy delivered in 39 sessions over 8 weeks. The study evaluated survival rates, cancer recurrence, and treatment-related side effects, including urinary and bowel symptoms.
Key outcomes after 10 years of follow-up revealed that the short-course radiotherapy group had a 72% failure-free survival rate compared to 65% in the standard group. Overall survival rates were 81% for the short-course group and 79% for the standard group, with prostate cancer-specific mortality at 4% in both groups. The incidence of urinary and bowel symptoms was similar in both groups, predominantly mild to moderate in nature.
The study’s long-term results emphasize that the shorter radiotherapy course does not increase the risk of long-term side effects while providing durable cancer control. These findings highlight the efficiency, accessibility, and patient-friendly nature of modern radiotherapy approaches without compromising treatment effectiveness or safety.
In conclusion, the study underscores the significance of shorter treatment schedules in enabling patients to resume their normal lives more swiftly. By reducing the treatment time to just two and a half weeks, patients and healthcare systems alike stand to benefit. This research showcases impactful, practice-changing outcomes that contribute to the advancement of prostate cancer treatment.
