Thousands of rectal cancer patients in England could be spared invasive surgery and the need for a permanent stoma, thanks to a pioneering new treatment approved for NHS use.
What is the Papillon Treatment?
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has recommended a therapy called Papillon for fit patients with rectal tumours measuring 3cm or smaller. This approval, announced in December 2025, offers a crucial alternative for those who either choose not to undergo major surgery or are considered at high risk from such procedures.
Papillon is a form of brachytherapy. During the procedure, a clinician carefully inserts a small X-ray tube through the anus and into the rectum. This allows for precise, low doses of radiation to be delivered directly to the cancerous tumour. The key benefit is that it can destroy the cancer while preserving the organ, meaning patients can potentially avoid a colostomy – where an opening (stoma) is created in the abdomen to divert waste into an external bag.
Nice stated that avoiding a stoma "substantially improves" a patient's quality of life. The treatment may also become an option for people with larger tumours if other therapies first reduce their size to 3cm or less.
A 33-Year Journey to NHS Approval
The technique was pioneered by Professor Sun Myint, a 77-year-old consultant in clinical oncology at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Merseyside. He has treated approximately 3,000 patients with Papillon over more than three decades.
"This decision is a great victory for patients who will now have a choice for the treatment they prefer," said Prof Myint. "It is wonderful that patients will now be given a choice of treatment and many of them will have a much better quality of life later because of it."
The approval follows the successful Opera trial, led by Prof Myint, which tracked patients for five years. It found that the Papillon technique helped preserve organs 93% of the time in eligible rectal cancer cases.
Patient Experience and Wider Benefits
Sharon Price, a 45-year-old NHS worker from Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, was successfully treated as part of the trial. Faced with the prospect of life-long stoma surgery, she described the option as "devastating".
"I was just too young to have to go through that," she said. "I was offered the chance to join the clinical trial, and I decided to do it immediately."
Dr Caroline Brammer, medical director at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, highlighted additional advantages. She noted the approval would help reduce surgical waiting lists and NHS costs, while primarily improving patient outcomes.
Prof Myint, who plans to continue working until the treatment is standard globally, added: "I feel that I have done my job and I can now hang up my gloves."
Colorectal cancer, encompassing cancers of the rectum, bowel and colon, is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with over 41,000 new cases diagnosed annually. This new treatment option represents a significant step forward in managing one of its most common forms.
