NHS Commits to Build Proton Therapy Devices

The United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS; London) has laid plans to set aside GBP 250 million to build two proton beam therapy (PBT) systems for cancer, even as private companies explore similar ventures.

Currently, there are no PBT devices in the UK. The NHS has instead established a program to send patients overseas (currently to the United States) for PBT, via a clinical panel that reviews individual cases referred for treatment and decides whether the case is suitable. About 100 patients each year are sent for treatment; but the treatment itself is not cheap, and can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The NHS option, once implemented, should reduce the costs to approximately USD 90,000 per patient. The reduced per patient cost and the availability of a local treatment option would enable the two PBT centers, which will be located in London and Manchester, to serve up to 1,500 patients, and will also results in lower costs for family members and reduced stress levels. Both centers should open by 2018.

“By investing in proton-beam therapy facilities, we will be able to treat more patients in the UK and reduce the stress placed on families who have had to travel to the United States to receive this innovative treatment,” said UK Public Health Minister Anna Soubry. “This is a huge milestone for the NHS – not only will Proton Beam Therapy help save more lives, it will also ensure that patients experience fewer side-effects and have a better quality of life.”

Alongside the NHS effort, the private sector is also investing in building PBT centers. One example is Advanced Proton Solutions (APS, London, UK), which has approval to construct one in central London. Other companies focused on PBT centers include Ion Beam Applications (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium), Hitachi (Tokyo, Japan), and Advanced Oncotherapy (London, UK), which will develop PBT centers in Birmingham, Manchester, and Scotland together with BMI Healthcare, a private-hospital operator owned by Apax Partners and Netcare.

PBT is a precise form of radiotherapy that uses charged particles instead of X-rays to deliver a dose of radiotherapy for patients. It can be a more effective form of treatment than conventional radiotherapy because it directs radiotherapy more precisely, with minimal damage to surrounding tissue. Evidence is growing that protons can be effective in treating a number of cancers, in particular children and young people with brain tumors, for whom PBT appears to produce fewer side effects such as secondary cancers, growth deformity, hearing loss, and learning difficulties.

Related Links:
United Kingdom National Health Service
Advanced Proton Solutions
Ion Beam Applications