Rapid treatment prevents need for life-changing surgery for rectal cancer
People with rectal cancer could be spared the need for life-changing surgery thanks to a rapid treatment that preserves healthy tissue, a clinical trial has found.
Experts at the NHS Clatterbridge Cancer Centre on the Wirral discovered that people with early-stage rectal cancer can avoid the need for a stoma and may be cured if they have a type of specialist internal radiotherapy.
The final-stage results of the global clinical trial Opera followed 141 patients for five years and found a rise in preservation rates for the rectum, from 56% with standard treatment to 79% in those given the therapy.
The technique uses contact X-ray brachytherapy (CXB), combined with chemo-radiotherapy, to deliver radiation directly onto the tumour.
Each treatment application kills cancer cells layer by layer, while preventing damage to the normal, healthy bowel around the tumour.
Clatterbridge consultant Professor Sun Myint, who led the UK arm of the research, said: 'This study is a significant milestone in rectal cancer management.
'The ability to preserve organs in nearly 80% of cases without compromising bowel function or long-term quality of life is a game-changer for patients.'
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust is one of the world's leading centres for this type of treatment for rectal cancer.
Prof Myint said the treatment meant patients could avoid a colostomy – an operation to bring part of the bowel through an opening in the stomach to form a stoma, which collects the body's waste in a bag.
He said: 'For many patients, the prospect of a permanent colostomy is life-changing.
'This technique not only spares the organ but also preserves dignity and quality of life.'
He said the study findings showed that bowel function was not worsened by the CXB boost, showing it is a safe and effective treatment option.
He said: 'These results should encourage wider adoption of contact X-ray brachytherapy as part of standard care for eligible patients.
'It's a beacon of hope for those battling rectal cancer.'
Prof Myint said he hopes CXB can also be used in other cancers.
Sharon Price, 51, who works in the NHS caring for lung cancer patients, was 45 and recently married when she was given the devastating news that she had rectal cancer. She was given the all-clear after the study.
She said: 'I was faced with the possibility of surgery, which would mean that I'd have to live with a stoma for the rest of my life.
'That was devastating – I was just too young to have to go through that and live with the consequences of how it can change what you're able to do.
'Many people do live with a stoma but for me, there would be no reversal of it, and I found it very difficult to contemplate that.
'I was offered the chance to join the clinical trial and I decided to do it immediately.
'It gave me the chance not to have invasive surgery, but if it did not work, I could still have that standard treatment.'
Mrs Price, who lives in Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, had three rounds of CXB before 25 sessions of standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
This eradicated her cancer and it was followed up with intensive monitoring for three years before she was given the all-clear.
She said: 'I'm so glad I went for it. The Opera trial has meant I have had a normal, healthy life after being diagnosed with cancer.
'It has had no lasting impact on my life – and I wonder if that would have been the case if I had not joined the research.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Women's Prize winner slams ‘unbelievable' NHS doctor unemployment
Rachel Clarke, author and palliative care doctor, won the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction for her fourth book, 'The Story of a Heart.' Clarke has urged Health Secretary Wes Streeting to address the potential unemployment of resident doctors due to a shortage of training posts, with approximately 20,000 doctors expected to miss out on specialty training this summer. Clarke highlighted the absurdity of doctors being unemployed or seeking alternative work like Uber shifts when the NHS desperately needs them. Clarke referenced a Medical Defence Union (MDU) survey revealing that over a third of working NHS doctors feel their ability to treat patients is impaired due to exhaustion from staff shortages and long hours. Dutch author Yael van der Wouden won the Women's Prize for Fiction for her debut novel, 'The Safekeep,' which explores themes of displacement and generational trauma.
Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Colleagues pay tribute to 'warm, smiling' doctor and family who perished on doomed Air India plane
Tributes were paid today to a 'warm, smiling and kind' NHS doctor, his wife and three young children, who were wiped out in the horrific Air India plane crash. Dr Prateek Joshi, 43, had worked as a radiologist at a hospital in Derby for four years. He was flying back to the UK with his wife Komi Vyas – a fellow doctor - their daughter Miraya, eight, and twin sons, Pradyut and Nakul, five, who planned to settle down in the East Midlands city. The family posted a selfie of them innocently smiling after boarding the Boeing 787 plane before it took off from Ahmedabad yesterday. Royal Derby Hospital described Dr Joshi as 'not only an excellent doctor for whom nothing was too much trouble, but also a warm, smiling and kind man who was a hugely liked and valued member of the team'. His wife of around 10 years and children had spent time with him in Derby on a regularly basis and were on the flight to Britain planning to settle down and start a new life, friends said. One of Dr Joshi's former senior colleagues at the Royal Derby, Dr Rajeev Singh, said: 'It is hard to accept that a man with such a passion for life, and his beautiful young family, have been taken in this way. 'His passing has left a profound void, not only in his professional contributions but in the warmth and spirit that he gave to the world every day.' Dr Vivekanand Sharma, minister at Derby's Geeta Bhawan Hindu temple, where Dr Joshi worshipped regularly, said: 'He was a good man, a lovely person with a smiling face, always looking to help others in any way he could. 'I first met him more than two years ago when he first came to the temple, although I had not met his wife and family before. 'Their twin sons are aged two or three and his daughter five or six. Our thoughts are with the family of Dr Joshi, everyone who was travelling on the aeroplane and those at the hospital which it crashed onto. 'We have deep sorrow for all of them.' Another of Dr Joshi's former colleagues, Deepak Pundaleekappa Kaladagi, a professor of orthopaedics at a hospital in Bangalore, posted a picture of the family on Facebook. In a heartfelt tribute, he said: 'Rest in peace Dr Prateek Joshi and family who breathed their last in the tragic horrific plane crash in Ahmedabad which killed 242 people on board. 'Dr Prateek was my MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine) classmate and a dear friend in JNMC (Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum, India). 'He was a Radiologist, his wife also a doctor, who had recently resigned from job in India and was planning to settle in UK, but fate had other plans. May their souls rest in peace and God give strength to their family to bear this loss.' Dr Singh, Consultant Radiologist and Clinical Director for Imaging at University Hospitals Derby and Burton NHS Trust, said: 'Prateek was full of joy, he was a wonderful man, friend, husband and father, and an exceptional Radiologist who was highly respected in his field. 'He approached everything with a smile, radiated positivity and had a great sense of humour. 'He moved to Derby, from India, in 2021, quickly becoming a beloved colleague. He often entertained colleagues with stories about his passions outside of work, including his newly discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District. 'He touched the lives of so many people, both through his clinical work and as a colleague and friend to many.' Before the flight departed, the family shared a selfie onboard the doomed flight, all of them smiling ahead of the next chapter in their lives. Neil Ryan lived next door to the doctor for a number of years, in a suburb close to the Royal Derby Hospital. He said: 'It's absolutely devastating, you just don't expect it to be so close to home. 'The fact that they were on their way back to Derby to set up their own life, the photo they took just before they took off, they were so happy and content, for it to end this way is just heartbreaking. 'We moved in 2019 and they moved in a few years later. A wonderful, beautiful family, absolutely brilliant. The kindest, really unassuming. When they lived here, they'd just had their twin boys who were babies at the time, absolutely tiny they were. 'We could hear them crying through the walls, but it was really quiet and cute. Just the nicest family. When they left, they came round and said goodbye, they gave us a big parcel of goodies and stuff. 'He was a doctor in the hospital just down the road. You couldn't ask for better neighbours.' Another resident, Paul Stewart, added: 'I would walk past and see Dr Joshi every now and then. We didn't know each other very well but I recognised his face in the news this morning. 'It's a tragedy that has brought so much sadness to Derby, across the UK and across the world. 'To think that those young children were on that flight with their parents is just something I can't fathom. I just hope their family are supported during this horrific time.' Stephen Posey, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton chief executive, said: 'We are profoundly and deeply saddened at the loss of our dedicated and talented colleague, Dr Prateek Joshi and his family. 'Prateek was not only an excellent doctor for whom nothing was too much trouble, but also a warm, smiling and kind man who was a hugely liked and valued member of the team. 'We are privileged that Prateek chose to give his skills, talent and knowledge to the NHS, and he will be sorely missed by everyone who had the pleasure of working with him.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Skin expert and top London aesthetic practitioner demands an end to sunscreen VAT and shares top anti-ageing tips to keep skin looking young and healthy
A skin expert is calling for the government to scrap the 20 per cent VAT on sunscreen, describing it as a 'tax on health'. Alice Henshaw, a leading aesthetic nurse and founder of skincare brand Skincycles, says it's absurd that sunscreen is taxed like a luxury item in the UK, in the same category as designer handbags and expensive perfumes. Speaking from her Harley Street Injectables clinic, Alice said, 'This is a public health issue hiding in plain sight. The NHS spends hundreds of millions treating skin cancer, yet we penalise people financially for using a proven form of prevention.' According to data from Melanoma Focus, scrapping VAT on SPF 30+ sunscreens could prevent up to 3,200 cases of melanoma each year, saving the NHS more than £128 million in treatment costs. Alice's campaign is personal. As a clinical nurse and skincare innovator, she has seen firsthand the damage the sun can cause and the significant difference prevention can make. 'It was only three years ago that the government recognised the absurdity of classifying tampons as luxury products and removed VAT,' she says. 'Sunscreen deserves the same consideration.' Countries like Australia and New Zealand, where Alice is from, have long recognised sunscreen as a public health necessity. They offer subsidies and tax breaks to make it accessible to all. 'By making sunscreen affordable and encouraging daily use, these countries have changed public perception. People treat SPF as an essential, not just something for the beach,' she explains. When asked why she believes the VAT must go, Alice is clear: sunscreen is not a cosmetic luxury, it's a fundamental health product that prevents skin cancer, sun damage, and pigmentation disorders. She believes governments have the power to reframe sun protection from a beauty choice to a medical requirement by removing VAT, offering subsidies, and including SPF in public health initiatives. Her anti-ageing advice is rooted in science, not hype or viral must-haves. Daily sunscreen is her number one recommendation, regardless of weather or season. She also advises using an antioxidant serum, such as Vitamin C, in the morning, retinoids at night to boost cell turnover, a ceramide-rich moisturiser to support the skin barrier, and a gentle cleanser. A balanced diet and stress management round out her holistic approach. Among the most common skincare myths she encounters are the beliefs that sunscreen is only needed in summer or that expensive products are inherently better. 'The myth that sunscreen is only for sunny days,' she says. 'UVA rays penetrate clouds and windows! Also, expensive doesn't equal effective, and over-layering actives can damage rather than help.' Sunscreen should be applied every morning as the last step in your skincare routine and reapplied every two hours if you're outdoors or after sweating or swimming. Reapplication, Henshaw stresses, is crucial. For visible anti-ageing results, she highlights retinoids, antioxidants like Vitamin C, peptides, and growth factors, though she notes that 'none of these are effective without daily SPF to prevent further damage'. Moisturisers, she adds, help protect the skin by preventing water loss and reinforcing the skin barrier - look for those with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and ceramides. For those feeling overwhelmed by the avalanche of skincare advice online, Henshaw's guidance is simple: stick to the essentials - cleanser, SPF, retinoid, and moisturiser and consult a professional rather than following social media trends. Last month, Henshaw joined MPs and industry experts in Parliament for the launch of a new inquiry into UV safety, which will examine the current VAT on sunscreen, the impact of sunbeds, and more. A full report is expected next spring. 'It's time to stop taxing people for protecting themselves from cancer,' she says. 'We're not talking about highlighters or lipsticks. Sunscreen is not a beauty product it's healthcare.' She's also calling for unity in the industry, saying that her push to remove VAT isn't about driving sales for Skincycles. 'If people buy sunscreen at Boots instead of Skincycles because of this change, I'd still call that a win for public health,' she says. 'This isn't a competitive issue. The entire industry must promote health-first thinking.' Alice believes the UK has a chance to lead on this issue, and she's urging politicians to act quickly. 'Sunscreen isn't a luxury – it's a medical necessity that protects against cancer and keeps your skin young,' Alice emphasises. 'If we remove this tax, we'll save lives. It's not complicated. It's common sense. And the time to act is now.' To find out more and support the campaign to remove VAT from sunscreen, visit
