First patient to be treated by proton beam therapy in UK

A UK cancer patient is the first person to be treated with proton beam therapy at a new cancer centre.

The Rutherford Cancer Centre South Wales Newport opened earlier this month to provide a form of cancer treatment which targets tumours more accurately and reduces side effects.

Built by Proton Partners International, Newport is the first of eight locations in the UK set to receive a cancer treatment centre. The company is currently building Rutherford Cancer Centres in Northumberland, Reading and Liverpool.

The network of treatment centres will offer patients proton beam therapy treatment as well as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, imaging and wellbeing services.

Professor Karol Sikora, chief medical officer of Proton Partners International, said: “This is a landmark moment in UK cancer care and it is a significant step in transforming the way patients are treated.

“Proton beam therapy has been available abroad for many years, so it is hugely important that the UK is now able to offer this type of cancer care. There is a debate around how many patients are suitable for proton beam therapy. We do know that proton beam therapy is effective in the treatment of children as it reduces damage to surrounding healthy tissue, and it is also proven to work in tackling hard-to-reach tumours.”

The clinic is available to private patients and also to NHS patients if they are referred by their Trust.

Over 150,000 cancer patients are treated with radiation therapy in the UK every year and a potential 10% could be better treated with proton beam therapy, Proton Partners International believes.

Mike Moran, chief executive officer of Proton Partners International, said: “Today is an important day because from now patients no longer need to be sent abroad to receive proton beam therapy and we are delighted that Wales has shown the lead in helping make this advanced treatment available to patients.

“Until now, patients have to be sent to private clinics in the US or Switzerland to get this treatment at a cost of around £114,000. By making the treatment available in the UK, the cost is significantly reduced but so is the effect long-distance travelling can have on patients and their families."

Proton Partners International is working with the University of Liverpool on a two-year research project to develop a new measurement system to enhance proton beam therapy technology.