Cancer is a major social problem and it is the main cause of death between the ages 45-65 years. In the treatment of cancer, radio therapy (RT) plays an essential role. RT with protons, due to their unique physical and radiobiological properties, offers several advantages over photons for specific cancer types. In particular, they penetrate the patient with minimal diffusion, they deposit maximum energy at the end of their range, and they can be shaped as narrow focused and scanned pencil beams of variable penetration depth.
It was announced today that a new £35m cancer centre will be established in Liverpool to offer life-saving proton beam therapy. The centre will form part of the £1bn Paddington Village scheme in the city in an investment that will create more than 100 jobs. Proton Partners International is the company behind the project and one of the leading providers in the world.
Prof Carsten P Welsch, a member of the Cockcroft Institute and Head of the Liverpool Physics Department, says: “I am absolutely thrilled about this news. It brings advanced cancer therapy to Liverpool that will benefit many patients. At the Cockcroft Institute, we carry out research into various aspects of medical accelerators, including facility design and optimisation, development of advanced diagnostics and new treatment techniques.”
Within the Cockcroft Institute the partner universities are all research active in medical applications, in particular at the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool. The institute is also coordinating a European network on the Optimisation of Medical Accelerators (OMA).
Further information: http://www.liverpoolexpress.co.uk/pioneering-proton-cancer-centre-coup-kq-liverpool/