NHS England approves laser treatment for men with enlarged prostates

By The Press Association13th June 2016News EnglandCancer, News England, NHS, Palliative Care, Prostate Cancer

Thousands of men with a prostate problem are to benefit from a new tool which has been given the go ahead for NHS use, health officials said.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said men with enlarged prostates should be given a special laser treatment to help relieve symptoms.

New guidance from the health body suggests patients in England who are not deemed to be at high risk of complications should be offered treatment with the GreenLight XPS laser system.

Nice said as many as 13,600 men with enlarged prostates could benefit from treatment with the device.

Prostate enlargement affects around 60% of men aged 60 or over. The condition can make it difficult for men to pass urine and lead to repeated urinary tract infections.

Professor Carole Longson, director of Nice’s Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, said: “Whilst benign enlarged prostates may not be life threatening, the condition can impact on men’s lives significantly.

“A procedure to reduce the amount of excess prostate tissue can improve the quality of life for men.

“Using the GreenLight XPS is more convenient for patients than other surgical procedures as they don’t need to stay in hospital overnight and they can return to normal activity faster.”