Proton Beam Therapy For Glioblastoma Uk

Proton beam therapy is a type of external beam radiotherapy.
Proton beam therapy for glioblastoma uk. The government committed 250 million capital investment for both nhs proton beam therapy centres. Carefully measured doses of protons are delivered to the precise area needing treatment using the latest iba proteusone technology. Proton beam therapy pbt has been available to uk patients since 2008 through the nhs funded overseas programme and the clatterbridge cancer centre has treated patients with rare eye cancers with low energy protons for many years. Proton beam therapy is an advanced form of external radiotherapy that uses high energy proton beams instead of photon x ray beams or electrons.
Developing the uk proton beam therapy service. It is more targeted than conventional radiotherapy so does less damage to the healthy tissue around the tumour and in the rest of the brain. This includes the buildings and pbt cyclotron and gantries providing 6 nhs treatment rooms 3 at each centre. In 2009 the uk government made the decision to set up a national nhs proton beam therapy service.
The rest of this page is about high energy proton beam therapy which is used to treat some other types of cancer. Proton beam therapy pbt is a type of radiotherapy that uses beams of protons energised particles instead of beams of x rays photons that are used in conventional radiotherapy. Both trusts have more information about the new proton beam therapy centres on their. The guide to proton beam therapy this information is written for you in 10 easy to understand sections to be used individually or as a complete set.
It is used to help reduce the risk of long term side effects that can sometimes develop after standard radiotherapy. There are also other new discoveries in adult and childhood brain cancer research and treatment. Twenty three of 81 gbm patients who met the eligible criteria and consented to the protocol were treated with x ray radiation therapy 50 4 gy in 28 fractions in t2 high areas and proton beam therapy 46 2 gye in 28 fractions in gadolinium enhanced volumes 6 hours after x ray radiation therapy concurrent with nimustine. A ground breaking clinical trial is treating glioblastoma with intensity modulated proton therapy impt.
Proton beam therapy is only suitable for a small number of people.