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@bankhaunter wrote:

Before we get too excited about this new treatment, it’s important to point out that it’s thought that only around one per cent of UK cancer patients could be suitable for proton therapy. There’s also a lack of hard conventional evidence to prove that it’s more effective and kinder than conventional radiotherapy.

 

http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2013/09/16/proton-therapy-is-coming-to-the-uk-but-what-does-...

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Who could benefit? Doctors think that around one per cent of patients treated radiotherapy in the UK could be suitable for proton therapy. This would mostly be children with various types of cancer including brain tumours, as well as adults with brain tumours, head and neck cancers, spinal tumours and sarcomas. In addition, people with more common types of cancers in tricky locations of the body that would be difficult to treat with conventional radiotherapy might also benefit. As the UK’s proton therapy centres come to fruition over the next five years, there’s still a vital need to continue gathering and analysing research data from patients receiving the treatment around the world, so doctors can figure out the most suitable candidates for treatment and the best way to use it. Overall, we’re very happy to hear that the government is investing in cutting-edge techniques like proton therapy – although, of course, this shouldn’t be at the expense of conventional radiotherapy, which still saves thousands of lives. With the right investment in technology and people, the UK’s radiotherapy services could be among the best in the world. We will continue to keep pushing the government to make sure this happens and even more lives can be saved.