Innovative new prostate cancer treatment rolled out by Velindre Cancer Service

A EHFRT scan is placed over the radiotherapy units at Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff and Nevill Hall Hospital.

25 June 2026

Velindre Cancer Service is rolling out a new, shorter radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer, improving patient experience and making better use of treatment time.

Extreme Hypofractionated Radiotherapy (EHFRT) is an advanced form of radiotherapy where the full treatment dose is delivered in just five high‑dose sessions over one to two weeks, compared to the traditional course of around 20 treatments. This shorter schedule offers significant benefits for patients by reducing the number of hospital visits and minimising disruption to daily life.

Shown to work just as well at controlling cancer for many patients with early-stage prostate cancer, EHFRT is also quicker and more convenient than standard treatment.

Samantha Warren, Head of Radiotherapy Physics at Velindre Cancer Service, said: “The expansion of EHFRT represents an important step in the ongoing development of our radiotherapy services. It reflects the progress we are making in adopting evidence-based approaches that deliver real improvements for patients, both in terms of outcomes and overall experience.

“Bringing this approach into routine practice also strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality care in a more efficient and responsive way. It supports our focus on continuous improvement, ensuring patients across our region can benefit from advances in cancer treatment.”

Key patient benefits

The rollout of EHFRT is delivering clear benefits for a wide range of patients, particularly those who live further away from treatment centres, have work or caring responsibilities, or experience mobility challenges.

By reducing the number of hospital visits, this approach significantly lowers the travel burden, cuts associated costs, and minimises disruption to daily life - all while maintaining comparable clinical outcomes for suitable patients.

Alongside improving the patient experience, EHFRT is helping to strengthen radiotherapy services. Shorter treatment courses increase overall treatment capacity, enabling more patients to be treated within the same timeframe. This supports reduced waiting times and improves the service’s ability to meet increasing demand, particularly for prostate cancer.

Improving access and capacity

As EHFRT has moved from clinical trials into standard practice, more patients who are suitable can now receive this treatment. Its shorter course also increases availability on treatment machines, helping to reduce waiting times and improve access to radiotherapy services.

Halcyon and Ethos treatment platforms further support the safe and efficient delivery of EHFRT. These systems enable:

Faster treatment delivery, helping to treat more patients
Highly precise positioning, supported by cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging before treatment
Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT), helping ensure patients remain still throughout the delivery of these high-dose treatments.

For staff and our service, including oncologists, physicists, radiographers and planning staff, the implementation of EHFRT represents an important step forward in modern radiotherapy delivery. It allows for more efficient use of treatment machines and provides valuable experience with advanced technologies such as Ethos and Halcyon systems, SGRT, and CBCT.

This is supporting the development of skills in adaptive and hypofractionated treatment techniques, ensuring the service continues to evolve in line with best practice and innovation.

Service expansion across sites

EHFRT is now being delivered at both our Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff and at Velindre @ Nevill Hall Radiotherapy Unit in Abergavenny, increasing accessibility for patients across the region.

We successfully treated our first EHFRT patient in Abergavenny in April, with patient treatment scheduled to begin at Velindre Cancer Centre in July, marking an important step forward in expanding this service.

This development reflects our ongoing commitment to high-quality, innovative, patient-centred care, and to improving outcomes for those affected by cancer in Wales.

Velindre Cancer Service provides specialist cancer care to more than 1.5 million people across South East Wales and beyond. As part of Velindre University NHS Trust, services are delivered through a hub-and-spoke model, with Velindre Cancer Centre serving as a specialist treatment, teaching and research centre for non-surgical oncology.