An experimental new treatment slows down the spread of metastatic prostate cancer, postponing the use of hormone treatment by at least 25 months, according to an international study headed by Nijmegen university’s medical centre Radboudumc.

The radiation targets prostate cancer cells in particular so the surrounding healthy tissue is not affected.

“It’s a molecule with a radioactive particle attached which finds the cancer cell,” Radboudumc nuclear medicine expert James Nagarajah told the AD.

The molecule is injected in the blood and does its work without any marked or long-term side effects, he said.

The usual treatment of prostate cancer that has spread is hormone therapy but that can lead to brittle bones, tiredness and heart problems.

The men who took part in the experiment remained stable, postponing the use of hormones for at least 25 months. In a quarter of patients, subsequent scans no longer showed any tumours.

In men who were not given the treatment, the cancer became worse after five months.

“What is clear is that hormone treatment can be postponed, improving the quality of life for sufferers with recurrent prostate cancer who often live for another 10 to 15 years,” Nagarah said.

The new treatment will not be widely available for a few years yet. More research is needed, with a much larger group of patients. There will also have to be talks with the insurance companies about how it will be financed, the AD said.