Proton beam therapy is an advanced form of external radiotherapy that uses high-energy proton beams instead of photon x-ray beams or electrons. Carefully measured doses of protons are delivered to the precise area needing treatment, using the latest IBA ProteusONE technology. This ensures that the delivery of proton beam therapy is highly accurate and prevents the risk of radiation reaching surrounding healthy tissue.
Radiotherapy is used to kill and destroy cancer cells. It utilises radiation in the form of high-energy x-rays, known as photons, to kill and damage the cancerous cells and prevent their growth and reproduction. It can be used as a non-surgical option to treat cancer, and it can also be used to shrink a tumour or in combination with other treatments.
The Rutherford Cancer Centres and Elekta are bringing the next generation of personalised adaptive radiotherapy technology to oncology centres across the UK, with the new MR-linac Elekta Unity now available at the Rutherford Cancer Centre North West in Liverpool.
Consultant Clinical Oncologist
Dr Josef Kovarik is an acting consultant clinical oncologist and a Lead of ENT Oncology at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care in Newcastle upon Tyne, in the position of Head of ENT Oncology.
The treatment of head and neck and skin malignancies has always been the main field of interest of Josef Kovarik, he has significant experience in IMRT and image guidance. At the University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady in Prague, he started an IMRT programme in the year 2003. In Newcastle, tomotherapy has been used for the treatment of head and neck since 2010 and SABR for the treatment of lung tumours since 2014. However, Dr Josef Kovarik first introduced IMRT in the treatment of head and neck cancer in Limerick at the beginning of 2009, where it is now a standard treatment for head and neck tumours.
The thesis of Dr Kovarik's PhD was a treatment of skin cancer. During his career so far, he's widened his experience by working in several centres in the UK; in 1991 he joined Dr Svoboda in Portsmouth where he was introducing his hyper fractionated regimes. He's also become very familiar with the techniques used in Austria and in the Netherlands, through sabbaticals arranged in those countries by ESTRO.
Toxicity of head and neck radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy.
This consultant has received training from the Rutherford Cancer Centres in the delivery of proton beam therapy. The programme, Proton Therapy Clinical Education, in conjunction with The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and IBA, the leading proton beam therapy solutions manufacturer, involves oncologists gaining practical experience in Penn’s Roberts Proton Therapy Center – one of the world’s leading centres of proton therapy research and expertise.
If you'd like to speak to us about any of the treatments we offer please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Call us on 0800 210 0402 or
© Copyright Rutherford Health Plc 2017 - 2022
All rights Reserved