NCRI 2017 | First steps for the UK’s first high energy proton beam therapy centers

Proton beam therapy is a high energy, localized form of radiation therapy that has the potential to greatly improve the treatment of certain types of cancer. In this interview, Adrian Crellin, MB, BChir, MA, FRCP, FRCR, of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK, gives an overview of the UK’s new NHS-funded proton beam centers, the first of which is set to open in 2018. He discusses the main issues that they will deal with early on, namely identifying the patient cohorts for which the treatment is still cost-effective over conventional radiotherapy; and the lessons learnt from the commercial model of proton therapy in the USA. This video was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference in Liverpool, UK.