Your specialist team will give you more information if proton beam therapy is suitable for the type of cancer you have.
Where can you get proton beam therapy in the uk.
Utilising pencil beam scanning for an advanced level of precision proton beam therapy uses high energy proton beams that are directed to the target area with pinpoint accuracy and are delivered in the exact shape of the tumour.
Proton beam therapy is also available in the uk at private treatment centres.
Proton beam therapy is also available in private treatment centres in the uk.
This is far from ideal so the nhs is planning to open two new proton beam facilities in the uk by 2018 allowing more patients.
So you would have to pay for this treatment or use private insurance if you have it.
However if you re referred for proton beam therapy the duration of the treatment will be discussed with you at your initial appointment before you decide whether to go ahead with the treatment.
You need to be well enough to travel abroad.
Proton beam therapy is given on an outpatient basis with treatment usually delivered monday to friday between the hours of 7am to 9pm.
At the moment because the proton beam facilities in the uk are limited the nhs sends certain patients overseas for treatment.
A small number of people in south wales may have proton beam therapy on the nhs at the rutherford cancer centre.
Proton beam therapy is a relatively new form of radiotherapy that s garnered a fair amount of media attention in recent months and years.