Proton Beam Therapy For Lung Cancer Uk

Proton beam therapy is not widely available in the uk.

Proton beam therapy for lung cancer uk.

For many cancers we know that conventional radiotherapy can be very successful and even curative. Clinicians biologists physicists accelerator. So you would have to pay for this treatment or use private insurance if you have it. The proton therapy center ptc located in prague czech republic offers the most advanced and accurate form of radiotherapy currently available proton beam therapy using pencil beam scanning allows for a precise dose to be delivered to highly complicated target volumes while sparing nearby critical organs and healthy tissue.

Proton beam therapy is also available in private treatment centres in the uk. Protons are small particles of an atom and a particle accelerator also called a cyclotron is used to speed up the protons to produce the beam. The first proton beam. If the lung cancer is operable surgery is the choice for local therapy but combined therapy including surgery and radiation including proton therapy for lung cancer is often recommended for more advanced disease.

Once lung cancer is diagnosed local techniques are generally used in the very earliest stage of lung cancer treatment. 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 the therapy abroad. This will help you decide whether to have proton beam therapy or another type of treatment. From the moment you are diagnosed through to treatment and recovery we support you on your cancer journey every step of the way.

Proton beam therapy damages cancer cells in a treated area this stops their growth and over time these cells die. We are the only uk network of cancer centres to offer proton beam therapy in addition to conventional radiotherapy chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments alongside a range of supportive care services. Proton beam therapy uses beams of protons to target cancerous tumours. Researchers have unveiled designs for a facility intended to make cheaper more flexible proton beam therapy for cancer treatment a reality.

If proton beam therapy is suitable for you your cancer doctor and specialist nurse will talk to you about the possible benefits and disadvantages. At the moment proton beam therapy treatment is much more expensive than x ray therapy.