A 15-year-old boy with a rare brain tumour has begun world leading treatment at the NHS’ new Proton Beam Therapy centre at The Christie hospital in Manchester. The Clinical Services Journal examines what this pioneering treatment involves.
Proton beam therapy (PBT) is a specialist form of radiotherapy that targets cancers very precisely, increasing success rates and reducing side effects, which makes it an ideal treatment for certain cancers in children who are at risk of lasting damage to organs that are still growing.
The state-of-the-art treatment is only available in a handful of countries, and The Christie’s Proton Beam Centre is the newest and most up to date centre in the world.
Mason Kettley, from Angmering, West Sussex, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2018. Mason is currently still attending school and is in the middle of preparing for his GCSEs next year. His experiences as a patient have made him decide he would like to train as a doctor.
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.
