Israeli researchers announce breakthrough in prostate cancer treatment

The findings may help doctors identify high-risk patients earlier and tailor treatment accordingly. Brain metastases have very limited effective treatment options and are among the deadliest cancer complications.

The study involved researchers from 14 laboratories across six countries.

Separately, a major Israeli study bears the potential to reduce radiation treatments for prostate cancer patients from five to only two, the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva has said.

The largest ongoing study in the world, enroling more than 100 patients, has generated “impressive results” with “real hope among physicians,” according to the facility.

Haim Hoterer, 65, a father of three and grandfather of twelve, was diagnosed with prostate cancer and participated in the study.

“When I received the diagnosis, I was presented with two treatment options: surgery or radiation. The moment I was told there was an option for two radiation treatments instead of five, it definitely tipped the scales in favour of radiation. It was an important consideration for me. In my follow-up tests, we already saw a significant regression of the disease,” he was quoted as saying.

Dr Elisha Fredman is leading the study, aimed at changing the global standard of prostate cancer treatment by improving the quality of life of the patients.

He noted that treatments for prostate cancer patients have increased significantly in recent years, with this study demonstrating that they can be easier, more efficient, and tailored to each individual patient.

Ten years ago, the standard radiation regimen involved about 40 treatments. Patients who typically have to undergo 20 treatments today have undergone just five treatments under Fredman, the medical centre said.

“In the past, the standard daily radiation dose was small and spread over several weeks. Over time, it became clear that the biological characteristics of prostate cancer allow for higher intensity radiation doses. The combination of rapid technological advances together with improved ability to design highly focused and personalised radiation plans that spare healthy organs has enabled a significant reduction in the number of treatments, and this is exactly what we are now very close to proving in this study,” Fredman said.

Prostate cancer is the most common malignant tumour among men worldwide, with about 1.5 million new cases each year. It is also among the leading causes of cancer-related death among men in Israel.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, a total of 3,335 new patients were recorded in Israel’s National Cancer Registry in 2022.

Among Jewish men, the incidence increased by 3.8 per cent per year between 2015 and 2022, while among Arab men it rose by 2.8 per cent per year between 2016 and 2022. Men aged 50 and over are most at risk of developing prostate cancer, with most reported cases occurring between ages 70 and 74.

The incidence rate of prostate cancer in Israel is relatively high, ranked 75th worldwide, while the mortality rate is lower, ranked 145th.

“The model [that Fredman] proposes may become a new international treatment standard, saving time and reducing the physical and emotional burden for hundreds of thousands of patients each year globally,”  the Rabin Medical Centre said.