Proton therapy machines that Amancio Ortega donated to the Ministry of Health are set to arrive at hospitals in 2021. If all goes well, the University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela and the University Hospital of Fuenlabrada will already be operational in the first quarter of 2027. The others, spread across a total of seven autonomous communities, will receive and commission their machines by the last quarter of 2028 or, at the latest, the first quarter of 2029. Now, the time has come which patients will be prioritized for this treatment, as there are not enough machines for everyone
The Ministry of Health is already working on a document based on a scoring system that will establish these priorities. explained from ABCYounger patients will receive a higher score, although other criteria will be taken into account, such as the type of tumor, its location or the presence or absence of metastases.
Priority Calculator. Before considering any scale, doctors will decide which patients can benefit from treatment with the Amancio Ortega machine. Once this first selection is made, they will go on a waiting list where they will be ordered according to the priority calculator. It starts by scoring patients according to their age. 14 years and under get 10 points, 15 to 19 year olds 9, 20 to 26 year olds 8, 27 to 30 year olds 7, 31 to 35 year olds 6 and so on.
On the other hand, location will be taken into account, so those with tumors at the base of the skull or in the eye sockets will receive more points. Furthermore, among tumors that commonly affect the brain or nervous system, the types that will receive the highest scores are medulloblastoma, ependymoma, and glioma. Those without metastases will also receive more points. Finally, other factors will also be taken into account, such as re-irradiation of the same area, need for priority care, radiosensitivity, preservation of fertility and reduction of fetal dose in case of pregnancy.
because. This scoring criteria is not random. Proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy that uses accelerated protons to attack tumor tissue instead of X-rays or beams of electrons. Scientific studies have mixed results. In some patients it does not show any benefit over conventional radiotherapy. However, it is more beneficial in certain cases. Overall, studies point to better outcomes in children with brain cancer, which is why age and tumor location and type are such relevant criteria.
On the other hand, protons generally deposit less radiation in healthy tissue. This is due to something called the Bragg peak, where the protons release most of their energy at a certain point and there is almost no exit dose outside the tumor. For this reason, priority is given to pregnant women or patients who are radiosensitive or who need to preserve their fertility.
It does not replace conventional radiotherapy. Conventional radiotherapy remains the first option for most patients and cancer types. This is why it is also important to determine who are the best candidates for this treatment. In any case, it is important to note that this is still a list of priorities, but those deemed suitable by a doctor are not excluded.
Arranged by autonomous communities. In addition to the hospitals that will receive the Amancio Ortega machines in early 2027, Madrid’s La Paz Hospital, Valencia’s La Fe, San Sebastián’s University Hospital, Catalonia’s Proton Therapy Unit, Seville’s Muñoz Carrianos Hospital, Mala Dorangaria Regional Hospital and Garangaria Hospital will also be sent. Catalonia’s proton therapy unit will have two machines. Patients will be referred to the nearest hospital depending on their autonomous community or province. In Murcia, for example, patients have to travel to Valencia because there are no machines.
Until now, proton therapy can only be accessed in private health centers, such as the Quironsalud Proton Therapy Center and the Proton Therapy Unit of the Cancer Center Clínica Universidad de Navarre. It facilitates access through public health.
Picture | Wikimedia Commons
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