State of the art cancer-treating cyclotron arrives at UK’s first high energy proton beam centre at The Christie
A state of the art proton beam therapy machine, the ‘cyclotron’, was installed last week at the specialist cancer hospital The Christie in Manchester, marking a major milestone in a national NHS plan to provide high energy proton beam therapy in the UK from next year.
Proton beam therapy has been offered overseas to NHS patients who are eligible for treatment in England since 2008 in a programme that has to date supported approximately 1,000 patients. Together with the Department of Health, NHS England is funding the development of two world class centres in Manchester and London for NHS patients to be treated in the UK.
The arrival of the machine at The Christie is a major milestone in the delivery of the national service with the first patients due to be treated from summer 2018, with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust following in summer 2020. When complete they will each treat up to 750 patients every year.
The cyclotron will supply protons to three treatment rooms at The Christie and also for research performed in collaboration with The University of Manchester.
Over the last century, The Christie radiotherapy department has pioneered many advances in radiotherapy. It already leads in advanced radiotherapy, delivering more complex treatments than any other centre in the country. The introduction of proton beam therapy will allow it to continue to make advances in this area and improve patient treatment and care.