Having proton beam therapy: information for children aged 9-12 : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Proton Beam Therapy, or PBT, is a type of treatment using a machine that is like a big camera, a little bit like having an x-ray.

It doesn’t hurt to have it, the machine won’t touch you, and you won’t see or feel the treatment.

Before you start your treatment there are a few things that we need to do.

This is when you will come to UCH to meet us. We will teach you and your family all about protons and what it means for you.
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meet the team - proton beam.png — Katie, Claire, Rhonda, and Aine - Radiotherapy Services Play Specialist Team

On your first visit, you will meet the paediatric team who will support you through your treatment.

There is a specialist paediatric radiographer and a team of health play specialists.

There are also the doctors that you will see each week and the radiographers that you will meet when you have your scans and proton treatment.
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On your first visits you will meet the doctors and play specialists in the clinic on B3. This is where we will get to know you and your family, and talk about your treatment.

We will also introduce you to the play area on B4. This has lots of activities and fun things to do when you come and visit for your treatment and scans.

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You may also spot an area called the TYA lounge. This area is only for patients 13 years old and over.

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You will have quite a few things to do when you are here and before you start treatment.

The tasks may include:

Preparation for treatment
Making a mask, vac-bag and/or having permanent marks
CT scan
MRI scan
Visiting the children’s ward at UCH

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The most important thing is to lie very still during your treatment.

There are lots of different ways we can help you to stay in the right position each day. We may make you a special mould for the part of your body that needs treatment.

We will explain everything to you and your family, we will be able to play and practice to help you understand.

We will be there support you when your mould is made.

The material used to make masks and moulds is hard at first - but once it is warmed up, it becomes very soft.

When the material is soft, the radiographers can place it over the area that needs proton beam therapy. It feels very warm at first and cools down quickly.

You will also have a neck rest made to support your neck and head.

Your health play specialist can stay with you when your mask is being made and you can listen to some music too.

Vac-bags are flat blue bean bags. You lie on them and the air in the vac-bag is removed and this makes the bag fit to the shape of your body.

Your mask and mould can be painted by an artist, to make it special for you.

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Before we can start proton treatment, we will need to take some pictures of you in your treatment position.

We have different cameras to take these pictures. One is called a CT scanner and one is called an MRI scanner. Your job is to stay very still whilst we take these pictures.

These pictures will help the doctors to plan your Proton treatment.

You may need to have some tiny permanent marks made on your body for your treatment. We only need to do this once before you start treatment, right after your CT scan.

We will talk to you about them when you visit.

proton beam clinic 22.png — Having a CT scan

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Once you have finished your planning scans we will talk with you and your family all about the proton treatment.

This is a picture of what the proton treatment machine looks like.

Remember: it is just like a big camera. The treatment is just like having a picture taken. It will move around you but will never touch you, and you won’t feel anything.

You may hear some people call the machine a gantry.

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We know that there may be things about your treatment that may be worrying. We will be there to explain things each step of the way, and will work hard to answer all of your questions before you go home.

You will have a couple of weeks until we see you again.

When you come back to start treatment we will be there to help you.

If your doctor wants you to have chemotherapy whilst you are having proton beam therapy, you will have this at UCH on the paediatric oncology ward T11 North or T11N.

You will have a visit there before you start your treatment so you can meet the team.

You can contact the Radiotherapy/ PBT Play specialists on the email below: