Proton beam cancer therapy FAQs

13th December 2011 - NHS patients currently sent abroad for proton beam therapy could soon receive it in the UK under a £150m investment programme announced by the Government.

It is hoped the first purpose-built NHS facilities will open in 2016.

What is proton beam therapy?

Proton beam therapy is a different type of radiotherapy. It uses a precision high-energy beam of particles (protons) rather than high energy X-rays to deliver a dose of radiotherapy for patients with cancer. The science has been around for about 50 years but it's only as scans have become more advanced that the technique has become more widely used.

Currently NHS patients who fit the criteria have to travel abroad for proton beam therapy as it is only used in the UK to treat cancer of the eye. People who have melanoma of the eye can have proton therapy at the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology on the Wirral.

Which cancers does it work best on?

Some very rare cancers, such as tumours affecting the base of the skull or the spine, can be treated with high-energy proton therapy.

The treatment is particularly suitable for complex childhood cancers.

How does it work?

Proton beam therapy offers a more targeted way of treating cancer without damaging critical tissues. Protons are able to pass though the body and then release their destructive energy at the tumour site, limiting any damage to surrounding healthy tissue. If smaller areas of healthy tissue are damaged by the radiotherapy, there will be fewer long-term side-effects.

Is it better than conventional radiation treatment?

Proton beam treatment can be a more effective form of therapy because it directs the all-important radiation treatment to precisely where it is needed with minimal damage to surrounding tissue.

In some tumours that are  more resistant to radiation therapy, it permits the delivery of a higher dose which has been shown to improve the outcome for patients.

Early results from trials using proton beam radiotherapy are promising. Many reports show the treatment works well, with fewer side-effects than standard radiotherapy.

For patients, especially children, with highly specific types of cancer that occur in the brain and near the spine, proton beam therapy can be better than conventional radiotherapy. It reduces side-effects such as deafness, loss of IQ and the secondary cancers which can occur with conventional, less well-targeted treatments.

Where do NHS patients currently go for treatment?

Since 2008 a programme has been running to send patients either to Switzerland or the US for proton beam therapy.  Patients and their families could be away from home for eight to 10 weeks. The National Specialised Commissioning Team funds patient's travel and the costs of accommodation plus some other costs.

The number being sent abroad for treatment has been growing. In 2010/11, 50 patients from the UK were treated abroad.