Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what peer-reviewed evidence NHS England has assessed to inform its decision on the use of proton beam therapy as a treatment for extracranial indications.

NHS England continues to expand the list of clinical indications for which proton beam therapy is most beneficial. It commissions independent evidence based reviews on specific diagnoses, which highlight either proof of principle for the use of protons, such as paediatric cancer, or where there is no evidence, such as prostate cancer.

The versions of three proton beam therapy policies that are out for consultation are available on the NHS England website, listed under the ‘Cancer’ section, at:

www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/specialised-services-consultation

Each policy contains information on the evidence base.