PTCOG attendees hear first-hand experiences from The Christie

Patients from The Christie shared their experiences of having proton beam therapy (PBT) and radiotherapy with around 1,200 worldwide experts in particle therapy.

Sophie Vohra, Georgia Wood-Wareing an Ashleigh O’Hara spoke to delegates in Manchester for the 58th Particle Therapy Cooperative Group (PTCOG) annual congress in June.

Vohra and Wood-Wareing were both referred by The Christie for PBT in the USA and have shared their experience of this to help shape the design and development of the PBT centre at The Christie. O’Hara was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in November 2010 at the age of 19. She underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy and says she owes her life to The Christie.

As part of PTCOG, around 500 delegates visited The Christie for a tour of the PBT centre. The tour showcased The Christie and the NHS approach to particle therapy clinical practice.

Chief executive of The Christie Roger Spencer said: “PTCOG is an opportunity for us to learn from particle therapy experts around the world and to ensure that we are at the leading-edge of adopting new technology and procedures. We’re delighted that our patients got to share their experiences with so many international experts.”

The Christie, the University of Manchester and Marketing Manchester hosted the PTCOG annual conference after winning a competitive bidding process.

Picture: Proton beam therapy patients Georgia Wood-Wareing and Sophie Vohra shared their treatment experiences at the conference dinner.

Published on page 4 of the August 2019 issue of RAD Magazine.