How NHS investment in proton beam therapy is coming to fruition

Abstract

As the first national centres start to provide this developing radiotherapy technology in the UK, Matthew Limb reports on the hopes and expectations of doctors, policy makers, and patients

Private cancer provider collapses despite drive to tackle NHS backlog

“…The Rutherford cancer centre in Wales was the first in the UK to offer high energy proton beam therapy. The US saw a big expansion in private proton therapy centres marketed heavily at men with prostate cancer but a number have since closed as insurers pulled out, seeing no proven additional benefit in the therapy compared with alternatives 12…”

Holistic approach is needed to evaluate potential benefits of proton beam therapy

“…Limb reports that the potential benefits from expanding the indications for proton therapy should be evaluated in randomised clinical trials 1. In proton therapy, in which advantages in radiation dose distribution are usually used to reduce the severity of long term morbidity, randomised clinical trials with an endpoint decades later may be problematic.…”