§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the treatment available for benign prostatic hyperplasia. [122450]
§ Mr. HuttonSpecialist urological services for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are available widely around the country and a significant number of men can be treated by their family doctor. In recent years, drug treatments and surgery for the disease have greatly improved.
Treatment can be given by medicines which can either help to relax the muscle fibres within the prostate or decrease the size of the gland. The most common surgical operation is an endoscopic surgical procedure where parts of enlarged tissue are removed.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has just finished consulting on two procedures under the interventional procedures programme. They are examining transurethral electrovaporisation of the prostate, which is a minimally invasive alternative to standard treatment, and transurethral needle ablation of the prostate. Guidance on the safety andefficacy of both techniques should be published in the autumn by the interventional procedures programme.