Five-year-old British cancer patient Ashya King to undergo proton beam therapy in Prague

Cancer specialists at Prague’s Motol hospital have given the go-ahead for British cancer patient Ashya King to receive what may be life-saving treatment at Prague’s Proton Therapy Centre. The five-year- old, whose case has made world headlines, was discharged from a hospital in Malaga, Spain, on Monday morning and transported to Prague on a specially prepared private jet.

Ashya King, photo: CTK

The Kings’ desperate fight to give their son Ashya who is suffering from an aggressive brain tumour the possibility of undergoing what may be life-saving treatment at Prague’s Proton Therapy Centre has proved successful. On Monday morning a panel of the country’s leading child oncologists at Prague’s Motol Hospital where Ashya will be cared for recommended proton beam therapy as appropriate. And the cutting-edge centre, which is considered to be one of the best in Europe is ready to take the patient in. The institution’s director of strategy Iva Taťounová:

“We can begin treatment in a matter of days and we’ll talk about the cost later. Our primary concern now is the boy’s health.”

The proton beam treatment, which is presently unavailable in Britain, is a highly targeted form of radiation that uses beams of protons rather than high energy X-rays as in conventional radiotherapy. The protons can be directed at a tumour with immense precision and unlike conventional treatments the beams stop once they hit the target, causing less damage to surrounding bodily tissue and reducing the chance that a child might develop secondary cancer later in life. This form of therapy also has fewer negative side effects and thereby the treatment is considered highly suitable for children. However it is not suitable for all forms of cancer –and specialists in Britain refused to recommend and pay for it abroad on the grounds that there was not enough evidence to prove it would be successful in Ashya’s case.

Photo: archive of Proton Therapy Center

Without it Ashya had been given just months to live and his parents are determined to give him the chance. Cancer specialists at Prague’s Motol Hospital –the biggest children’s hospital in the country- are unwilling to make predictions without having seen and examined the child. The head of the team, professor Jan Stary told the media that according to available documentation Ashya ‘s present state of health enabled transport and in the first few days after his arrival he would undergo further tests to show what condition he is in following the tumour surgery he underwent six weeks ago. If all goes according to plan, proton beam therapy could begin next week with 30 radiations planned at the outset. The hospital staff will need to take into consideration that Ashya’s parents are Jehovahs Witnesses and do not agree with a blood transfusion for their son. According to prof. Stary the therapy he would undergo does not generally require this. Barring complications the treatment should last approximately five to six weeks.

Meanwhile, in Britain the Kids’nCancer UK organization is collecting money to finance Ashya’s treatment. Donors have already sent in 50,000 pounds (1.7 million crowns) and an anonymous benefactor has said he is ready to cover the remaining expenses. The treatment should cost around 1.8 million crowns.