The U.K. has committed 250 million pounds (291 million euros) to build two new state-of-the-art proton therapy centers.
The centers will be located in London and Manchester and will be operational by 2018, according to public health minister Anna Soubry.
Proton beam therapy targets tumors more precisely than traditional radiotherapy, with less damage to surrounding tissues. The result is improved quality of life after treatment, with fewer side effects, especially for children, the National Health Service (NHS) said. And because more people will be treated, more lives will be saved, NHS said in a statement.
NHS will treat up to 1,500 cancer patients per year at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London.
