Prostate Cancer UK has called advanced high-powered precision radiotherapy a "game-changer" for patients in the South West.
In June 2026, NHS England announced that the technique called SABR(stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) would target the disease more effectively than standard radiotherapy and help reduce side effects.
Torbay Hospital said Stephen Dwyer-Lapthorne has become the first man in Torbay and South Devon to receive the treatment, following a diagnosis of localised prostate cancer in October 2025.
Dwyer-Lapthorne said he would encourage other people to use SABR if it was available to them because it was "all over much more quickly".
He said: "It's better to only have to do that five times as opposed to 20 times. I'd wanted a shorter treatment, and I'd read about the SABR treatment. Then luckily, as I was preparing for a planning scan, the oncologist came down, and said, good news Torbay has now commissioned SABR. I only have one session left of the planned five sessions, and right now, I don't feel anything, other than slightly fatigued, although I'm expecting potential side effects later," he added.
Of the 55,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the UK, around 17,500 are deemed low
Precision Radiotherapy Hailed as Game-Changer for Prostate Patients