Is Proton Beam Therapy Available In Scotland

Proton beam therapy is an advanced form of external radiotherapy that uses high energy proton beams instead of photon x ray beams or electrons.

Is proton beam therapy available in scotland.

Proton therapy can cause side effects as the cancer cells die or when the energy from the proton beam damages healthy tissue. This is where radiation with charged particles called protons are targeted at the tumour from outside the eye. That technology remains available for many patients who are candidates for proton therapy. This treatment is used if the tumour is too large or located too far back in the eye for plaque radiotherapy to work.

If proton beam therapy is suitable for you your cancer doctor and specialist nurse will talk to you about the possible benefits and disadvantages. Since 2018 the service has been available from the christie nhs foundation trust manchester. So you would have to pay for this treatment or use private insurance if you have it. This will help you decide whether to have proton beam therapy or another type of treatment.

Carefully measured doses of protons are delivered to the precise area needing treatment using the latest iba proteusone technology. The treatment known as proton beam therapy is currently only available in the uk to treat eye cancers but patients with other forms of cancer can apply for nhs funding for therapy abroad. Alternatively siteman s first proton therapy system available since 2013 precisely targets the tumor using filters that spread the proton beam across the tumor. The beam then paints the radiation dose onto the tumor.

You can find out more on their website. Proton beam therapy is a relatively new type of radiotherapy that uses tiny high energy particles so called protons to target and kill cancer cells. Proton beam therapy targets radiation directly at the tumour avoiding healthy surrounding tissue but. It reduces the damage to surrounding healthy tissues and vital organs which is why certain groups of people such as young children or people whose cancer is close to vital organs benefit.

Proton beam therapy has been on offer for eligible patients since 2009 in america and germany. A small number of people in south wales may have proton beam therapy on the nhs at the rutherford cancer centre. The new uk centres will be available for nhs patients from england scotland and wales. Proton beam therapy is also available in private treatment centres in the uk.

Proton beam therapy is not widely available in the uk.