Cancer-therapy centre opens in Northumberland

The Rutherford Cancer Centre North East, at Bomarsund, provides a full range of conventional cancer treatments, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, imaging and diagnostics and will offer high energy proton-beam therapy.

Mike Moran, chief executive officer of Proton Partners International, said: “We are delighted to be working with the world’s leading technology partners to ensure that our centre is equipped with the most advanced technology available in cancer care and we are proud to bring this to the North East.

“We see this centre as being an integral part of the community for those who need access to high quality cancer treatment.”

The Rutherford Cancer Centre South Wales was the first clinic in the country to treat a patient with high energy proton-beam therapy and patients are now travelling from across the UK and abroad for treatment there. It is hoped this will happen in Bomarsund too.

Professor Karol Sikora, chief medical officer of Proton Partners International, said: “The opening of our second all-encompassing cancer centre will deliver significant benefits.

“It will help transform lives and will mean that more patients who need proton-beam therapy will not have to travel abroad in future to receive it.”

Proton Partners International is currently building two further UK centres in Reading and Liverpool. Other sites are also under consideration.

All centres will offer proton-beam therapy available to medically-insured private patients and self-paying patients, as well as NHS patients should the Rutherford Cancer Centres be commissioned to provide proton-beam therapy for them.