'God particle' scientists come up with cancer-blasting beam, The scientists who discovered the ‘God particle’ – said to be the building block of the universe – could revolutionise cancer treatment for tens of thousands of patients.
Working alongside a British medical firm, the team at the Cern laboratory in Geneva plan to slash the cost of an alternative to debilitating radiotherapy that is more effective and less damaging.
They also hope to open UK-based treatment centres within three years.
Breakthrough: The scientists who discovered the 'God particle' - said to be the building block of the universe - could revolutionise cancer treatment for tens of thousands of patients. Scientists at CERN in Geneva are pictured
Of the 320,000 new cancer diagnoses in the UK each year, around half receive radiation treatment. Of those, experts estimate a quarter – 40,000 – would benefit from proton beam therapy.
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The method, which treats tumours with high-powered beams of positively charged particles, is more effective than traditional radiotherapy and leaves healthy tissue undamaged.
Improvement: The team at the Cern laboratory in Geneva plan to slash the cost of an alternative to debilitating radiotherapy that is more effective and less damaging. This shows the Large Hadron Collider at Cern
At present, those needing PBT are flown to the US or Switzerland, at an average cost of £90,000 to the NHS, meaning only a handful of patients benefit. Two NHS proton therapy centres in London and Manchester are planned for 2017 but will only have the capacity to treat 1,500 patients a year.
But the Cern team plan to open the first centre in the UK in 2016, which would treat 12,000 private and NHS patients annually.
Working with Cern is Dr Mike Sinclair, who heads Advanced Oncotherapy, a London-based AIM listed company .
‘This is a game-changer. Bringing a new, more effective cancer treatment to the masses,’ he said.
‘PBT offers a significant improvement for patients with cancer than conventional radiotherapy. Everybody recognises the advantages of the technique, but so far, the big problem has always been cost.
‘The machine developed by Cern has very significant clinical advantages and it will cost a third of equivalent equipment currently available.’
Last year, scientists at Cern found the Higgs boson particle – the particle they believe holds the universe together and gives it substance – nearly 50 years after Newcastle-born Professor Peter Higgs predicted its existence.
Working alongside a British medical firm, the team at the Cern laboratory in Geneva plan to slash the cost of an alternative to debilitating radiotherapy that is more effective and less damaging.
They also hope to open UK-based treatment centres within three years.
Breakthrough: The scientists who discovered the 'God particle' - said to be the building block of the universe - could revolutionise cancer treatment for tens of thousands of patients. Scientists at CERN in Geneva are pictured
Of the 320,000 new cancer diagnoses in the UK each year, around half receive radiation treatment. Of those, experts estimate a quarter – 40,000 – would benefit from proton beam therapy.
More...
You aren't the only one to think about switching careers... ANTS change jobs as they grow older
The method, which treats tumours with high-powered beams of positively charged particles, is more effective than traditional radiotherapy and leaves healthy tissue undamaged.
Improvement: The team at the Cern laboratory in Geneva plan to slash the cost of an alternative to debilitating radiotherapy that is more effective and less damaging. This shows the Large Hadron Collider at Cern
At present, those needing PBT are flown to the US or Switzerland, at an average cost of £90,000 to the NHS, meaning only a handful of patients benefit. Two NHS proton therapy centres in London and Manchester are planned for 2017 but will only have the capacity to treat 1,500 patients a year.
But the Cern team plan to open the first centre in the UK in 2016, which would treat 12,000 private and NHS patients annually.
Working with Cern is Dr Mike Sinclair, who heads Advanced Oncotherapy, a London-based AIM listed company .
‘This is a game-changer. Bringing a new, more effective cancer treatment to the masses,’ he said.
‘PBT offers a significant improvement for patients with cancer than conventional radiotherapy. Everybody recognises the advantages of the technique, but so far, the big problem has always been cost.
‘The machine developed by Cern has very significant clinical advantages and it will cost a third of equivalent equipment currently available.’
Last year, scientists at Cern found the Higgs boson particle – the particle they believe holds the universe together and gives it substance – nearly 50 years after Newcastle-born Professor Peter Higgs predicted its existence.
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