- ITV Report
New £38 million cancer treatment centre opens in the North East
A new £38 million cancer treatment centre has opened in Northumberland.
The Rutherford Cancer Centre North East currently provides a full range of conventional cancer treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, imaging and diagnostics and will offer high energy proton beam therapy from 2019.
It has been described as a 'new chapter in the provision of advanced cancer care'.
WHAT IS PROTON BEAM THERAPY?
Proton beam therapy is a highly-targeted type of radiotherapy that can treat hard-to-reach cancers, such as spinal tumours, with a lower risk of damaging the surrounding tissue and causing side effects.
A study has been published in The Lancet showing the significant sparing of damage to critical tissues by the use of proton beam therapy, particularly in children.
The Rutherford Cancer Centre South Wales was the first clinic in the country to treat a patient with high energy proton beam therapy and patients are now travelling from across the UK and abroad for treatment there.