Evaluating the Effects of Frozen Section Technology on Oncological and Functional Outcomes at Radical Prostatectomy.

Prostate cancer is a common illness that affects many men in the UK. If the cancer is still contained within the prostate gland and hasn't spread, surgery to remove the prostate (called a radical prostatectomy) is often a way to cure it.

However, this surgery can sometimes lead to side effects. For example, some men may have difficulty controlling their urine, and others might experience problems with erections. These issues can happen because the nerves that help with erections and bladder control are very close to the prostate and can sometimes be damaged during surgery. Surgeons try to protect these nerves to help men keep their quality of life, but there's a delicate balance: trying too hard to save nerves might, in some cases, risk leaving tiny cancer cells behind, which could mean needing more treatment like radiotherapy later on.

This study is testing a new surgical method called NeuroSAFE. The aim of NeuroSAFE is to help surgeons be more confident during the operation that they are removing all the cancer while also protecting the important nerves that affect bladder control and erections. By doing this, the researchers hope to reduce the need for further treatments like radiotherapy after surgery and improve men's quality of life. This research is especially important now because the types of prostate cancers being treated surgically are changing, and techniques used in the past for less aggressive cancers might not be as safe for the more aggressive cancers seen today. This study aims to ensure new techniques are thoroughly tested before they become widely used.