Proton beam therapy could embrace more patients

It would negate the need for the huge synchrotron and cyclotron set-ups currently used, which are expensive and not practical for most hospitals.

Particle beam therapy, which uses protons or other ions, is a highly targeted modality of cancer treatment that can precisely irradiate tumours while preserving healthy tissue — especially valuable in brain tumours.

Although the basic technology has been in place since the mid-1980s, its application in cancer medicine has only really come of age in the past decade. However, it is still highly exclusive — the UK has two permanent facilities planned, but NHS patients have been frequently sent abroad for treatment.

Noting rapid advances in the field of laser technology — with peta watts of power available — several research teams, including one at Queen’s University Belfast, began trying to shunt ions at high speed with these lasers. Prof Marco Borghesi, who heads the Queen’s team, explained the basic principles to The Engineer.