Referrals – who is eligible for proton beam therapy?
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Proton beam therapy is the most suitable treatment for certain types of tumour, and for certain patients. However, it is not always the best alternative.
1. Ask your oncologist
If you are wondering whether proton beam therapy is the right alternative for you, ask your oncologist (cancer specialist) at your local hospital.
2. Comparing treatment alternatives
If your doctor decides that proton beam therapy is a suitable course of action, she or he will refer you to the nearest university hospital. At the hospital, one treatment plan will be prepared for classic photon radiation therapy and one for proton beam therapy. These plans will then be compared. If this comparison shows that proton beam therapy may be an alternative for you, your doctor will refer you to the Skandion Clinic.
3. Specialists make a joint assessment
A further review will be conducted via video conferencing; specialist doctors from the Skandion Clinic and Sweden’s seven university hospitals will confer to assess which type of radiation therapy is most appropriate.
4. Final decision of treatment modality
Your doctor will inform you of the conclusions reached by the specialists in their assessment.
5. Appointment
Patients in Sweden
If you have been recommended proton beam therapy, you will receive a letter with an appointment at the Skandion Clinic. This will also include practical information from the clinic. Treatment usually begins within 7-10 days after the video conference.Patients in Denmark and Norway
If you have been recommended proton beam therapy, you will receive a letter with an appointment at the hospital in Sweden that is to carry out preparations for your treatment at the Skandion Clinic. You will then travel to the hospital in Sweden for preparations, which will take approximately one day. After these preparations are complete, you will be allowed to return home for a few days before treatment commences at the Skandion Clinic in Uppsala.
