The study, known as the PRESIDENT trial, will be one of the most significant trials in this field. Spanning seven years and involving at least 25 centres across the UK, it aims to answer a critical question: can surgery improve survival and quality of life for men whose prostate cancer has spread but remains limited?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in England, with one man dying from the disease every 45 minutes in the UK. For the disease to become fatal, it must spread beyond the prostate. However, emerging evidence suggests that when this spread is limited – referred to as oligo-metastatic disease – targeted treatment of the prostate itself may improve outcomes.
While prostate removal surgery (prostatectomy) has been shown to be safe and feasible in these patients, its impact on survival and quality of life remains unclear. The PRESIDENT trial will address this crucial evidence gap.
‘This study will investigate whether surgery as part of a multi-pronged strategy can improve both cancer outcomes and quality of life in men with oligo-metastatic prostate cancer,’ said Professor Sooriakumaran, Chief Investigator of the trial. ‘Surgery is standard of care for men with localised prostate cancer; we will investigate its role in men with advanced disease, the kind of prostate cancer that is a much greater threat to life.’
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences website.