Wales has shown ‘outstanding’ vision in helping to develop innovative proton beam therapy services for cancer patients.
Speaking at the BioWales biotech conference Professor Karol Sikora, chief medical director of Proton Partners International, said that the commitment to put Wales on the world life sciences map had led to the establishment of the UK’s first high energy proton beam therapy centre at Newport, Gwent.
Proton Partners International Ltd opened its landmark Rutherford Cancer Centre in Newport earlier this year.
The centre brings the most advanced treatments in cancer care to South Wales and will start treating the UK’s first patients with high energy proton beam therapy by early April.
“With cancer on the rise, there is a growing need for patients to be offered a holistic and sophisticated cancer service,” said Sikora.
“Around 10 per cent of all cancer patients having curative radiotherapy could benefit from proton therapy as it has significantly lower side effects compared to traditional treatment.
“The Rutherford Cancer Centre in Wales, and the further three centres under construction in the UK, will transform the lives of many cancer patients with its very precise form of cancer treatment, and will mean that patients who need proton beam therapy will not have to travel abroad in future to receive it.”
The Rutherford Cancer Centres will offer all-encompassing cancer services, including high energy proton beam therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, imaging and wellbeing services.
Treatment at the Rutherford Cancer Centre South Wales will be available to medically insured private patients, self-paying patients and referrals by NHS Wales.
The BioWales conference is the leading event for the life sciences sector in Wales, bringing together industry experts, life science investors, healthcare professionals and the innovation ecosystem, with the aim of improving health and wellbeing in Wales.