About

Proton Beam Therapy is a precise form of radiotherapy that uses charged particles instead of x-rays to deliver the radiation dose to the tumour. It can be a more effective form of treatment than conventional radiotherapy because it targets the radiotherapy more precisely with minimal damage to surrounding tissue. The evidence base is growing that protons can be highly effective in treating a number of cancers, in particular in children and young people with brain tumours.

In April 2008 the National Specialised Commissioning Team (NSCT) established a programme to send cancer patients overseas for proton beam therapy. Since its inception more than 160 patients have been treated at centres in the USA and Switzerland. In April 2012 the Government announced that it would provide public capital of up to £250M for the NHS to build two Proton Beam Therapy treatment centres at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester and University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. On the 1st August 2013 the government approved the Outline Business Cases for the two schemes, which confirm the funding commitment and the outputs of the projects and authorise the two projects to seek tenders to provide the equipment and works necessary to deliver the facilities. The first centre is expected to become operational during the second quarter of 2018. While these facilities are being developed patients will continue to be treated overseas.

In 2012 the NPL established the Proton Physics Research and Implementation Group (PPRIG) with representatives from key stakeholders including the Christie and UCLH. The aim of this group is to bid for research funding collaboratively and establish a programme of work that would drive forward proton therapy related research in the UK.