Proton beam therapy centre to be based in Manchester

A project to build a "cutting-edge" radiotherapy centre in Manchester has been confirmed.

The plan will see The Christie offer proton beam therapy, which uses a particle beam to destroy cancer cells.

Currently, NHS patients in the UK needing the therapy have to travel to Switzerland or America for treatment.

Dr Ed Smith, of the Christie, said the treatment was particularly effective because it targeted the cancer precisely.

"With X-rays, when you are treating a patient, they can go through the tumour and affect the normal tissues," he said.

"With proton beam therapy, you can stop the beam in the tumour itself, so you're sparing much more of the normal tissue."

Experts said the therapy had been found to be particularly suitable for use against complex childhood cancers and adult brain, neck and head cancers.