A new chapter in the provision of advanced cancer care in North East England has started with the official opening of the Rutherford Cancer Centre North East.

Proton Partners International say their centre at Bomarsund currently 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 centres are equipped with the most advanced technology available in cancer care. We offer a full range of cancer treatments as well as proton beam therapy which we are particularly proud to be bringing to the North East.”

The Rutherford Cancer Centre South Wales was the first clinic in the UK to treat someone with high energy proton beam therapy and people are now travelling from across the UK and abroad for treatment there.

Mike Moran said “Each Rutherford Cancer Centre will bring around £20million in additional revenue to the local region through the construction and running of each, as well as the employment opportunities a centre of this kind affords. Wherever possible, we sourced all materials for the centre’s completion locally, and we see this centre as being an integral part of the community for those who need access to high quality cancer treatment.”

Professor Karol Sikora, chief medical officer of Proton Partners International, said “The opening of our second all-encompassing cancer centre will deliver significant benefit to cancer treatment in the UK. This centre 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 and it is the company’s aim to have a Rutherford Cancer Centre within ninety minutes of 75% of the UK population by 2021. 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.