Khong Jeremy, Tee Hui, Gorayski Peter, Le Hien, Penniment Michael, Jessop Sophie, Hansford Jordan, Penfold Melanie, Green Julia, Skelton Kelly, Saran Frank
Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
South Australia Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol. 2023 Dec 25. doi: 10.1111/1754-9485.13614.
Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) has the potential to improve paediatric cancer care by reducing radiation exposure and thus long-term toxicities. Ethical concerns and debates surrounding the treatment, such as eligibility and accessibility, are ongoing in Australia. The Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research (ABCPTR) (named after Sir William Henry Bragg who described the Bragg peak in his laboratory at the University of Adelaide in 1903) aims to increase access to PBT in Australasia and offer a patient-centred care approach. Research is underway to assess PBT's safety and cost-effectiveness, using tools including Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) models. Collaborative efforts are focused on developing tailored survivorship clinics to enhance patient follow-up and quality of life. With the anticipated opening of the ABCPTR, Australia is preparing to take a significant step in radiation oncology, offering new research opportunities and creating a publicly funded treatment centre. The initiative aims to balance treatment efficacy with patient care, setting the stage for a future in which radiation therapy will reduce long-term side effects compared to the current standard of care. The implementation of PBT in Australia represents a complex and promising approach to paediatric oncology. This article provides an overview of the current landscape, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of a treatment that could redefine the quality of survivorship and contribute to global research and best clinical practice.
质子束治疗（PBT）有潜力通过减少辐射暴露从而降低长期毒性，改善儿童癌症治疗。在澳大利亚，围绕该治疗的伦理问题和争论仍在持续，比如适用资格和可及性。澳大利亚布拉格质子治疗与研究中心（ABCPTR）（以威廉·亨利·布拉格爵士命名，他于1903年在阿德莱德大学的实验室中发现了布拉格峰）旨在增加澳大拉西亚地区对PBT的可及性，并提供以患者为中心的护理方法。目前正在开展研究，使用包括正常组织并发症概率（NTCP）模型在内的工具评估PBT的安全性和成本效益。合作努力聚焦于开发定制的生存诊所，以加强患者随访并提高生活质量。随着ABCPTR预计开业，澳大利亚正准备在放射肿瘤学领域迈出重要一步，提供新的研究机会并创建一个由公共资金资助的治疗中心。该倡议旨在平衡治疗效果与患者护理，为未来奠定基础，在这个未来中，与当前的护理标准相比，放射治疗将减少长期副作用。PBT在澳大利亚的实施代表了一种复杂且有前景的儿童肿瘤学方法。本文概述了当前的情况，强调了这种可能重新定义生存质量并为全球研究和最佳临床实践做出贡献的治疗方法的潜在益处和挑战。
