Proton beam therapy in adults

Vlayen J, García Fernández L, Boterberg T, San Miguel L
Record ID 32018000253
English
Authors' objectives: Proton therapy is a radiation therapy technique which allows large doses of radiation to be delivered to cancerous tumours without (excessively) “overflowing” to adjacent tissues. There has been much talk of this technique in recent years, since two projects by proton therapy centres are ongoing in Belgium, one in Louvain and the other in Charleroi. This treatment is used each year on about fifty Belgian patients, most often children affected by rare cancers who are sent to specialised centres abroad and fully reimbursed by INAMI. Before considering expanding the reimbursement of this extremely costly technique to include other types of cancers, INAMI asked us to verify the merit of its use.
Authors' results and conclusions: However, after an in-depth analysis of the international scientific literature, we were unfortunately unable to find compelling evidence of the superiority of the technique in comparison to conventional radiation therapy.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2019
URL for published report: https://doi.org/10.57598/R307C
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Full HTA
Country: Belgium
MeSH Terms
  • Proton Therapy
  • Radiotherapy
  • Review
  • Belgium
  • Adult
Contact
Organisation Name: Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre
Contact Address: Administrative Centre Botanique, Doorbuilding (10th floor), Boulevard du Jardin Botanique 55, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium tel: +32 2 287 33 88 fax: +32 2 287 33 85
Contact Name: info@kce.fgov.be
Contact Email: info@kce.fgov.be
Copyright: Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE)
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