Ashya King 'cured of cancer' by treatment denied on the NHS
Five-year old is now cancer-free after receiving proton beam therapy in the Czech Republic, say his parents
Ashya King, whose disappearance from hospital last year sparked an international manhunt, has made a "miracle" recovery from brain cancer, his parents have said.
The five-year old had been receiving proton beam therapy – a special form of radiation used to treat some cancers – in the Czech Republic, after doctors in the UK said he was not eligible for the treatment.
His father Brett said that a recent scan showed "no evidence" of the brain tumour. "It's incredible news. We are absolutely delighted," he told The Sun.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He said that Ashya's recovery had finally "justified" their actions. "If we had left Ashya with the NHS we don't think he would have survived. We have saved his life."
Last year, Brett and Naghemeh King removed their son from Southampton General Hospital after doctors refused to offer him the expensive therapy, and travelled to Spain.
Police then launched an international search for the pair, warning that Ashya's life could be in danger. His parents were arrested in Madrid on charges of child cruelty, but they were later released and Hampshire police were criticised for their "heavy-handed" response.
The family expressed their anger that the police had portrayed them as "kidnappers", turned them into refugees and denied them access to their son.
Once they were released, the family travelled to Prague, where Ashya has undergone months of intensive treatment. He is now recovering in the family's holiday home in Spain.
"We could not sleep before we got this news — now we are so full of hope for the future. We are jumping up and down with joy. It is a miracle we thought we would never see," said his mother.
Proton beam therapy: Ashya King starts treatment in Prague
15 Septmber 2014
Ashya King, the young child with cancer whose disappearance from a UK hospital sparked an international manhunt, is about to begin a course of proton beam therapy at a specialist hospital in the Czech Republic.
His parents took him to Spain last month against medical advice after doctors said he was not eligible for the brain cancer treatment. They were arrested and held in prison until charges of child neglect were dropped and the family was reunited.
The five-year old will undergo up to 30 separate treatments at the Proton Therapy Centre in Prague. His doctors say his condition has a 70 to 80 per cent survival rate and they have "every reason to hope that he will make a full recovery," AP reports.
But what is the highly sought-after treatment and why was the King family forced to travel abroad so Ashya could receive it?
What is proton beam therapy?
It is a form of radiotherapy used to treat certain cancers. Instead of x-rays, the treatment involves the use of highly accelerated protons, a type of sub-atomic particle, to target and kill cancerous cells.
What are its advantages?
Proton beams stop once they have destroyed specific cells and do not continue to pass through the body, affecting healthy cells too. The surrounding tissue therefore suffers less damage. The treatment also causes fewer side-effects than conventional radiotherapy.
And disadvantages?
Cancer Research UK warns that the treatment should not be seen as a "magic bullet" as it still carries risks and uncertainties as well as being extremely expensive.
Healthcare experts in the UK say that as the treatment is relatively new and only given in rare cases because there is not enough evidence that it is as effective at killing cancerous cells as conventional radiotherapy.
The NHS says it simply "cannot say with any conviction that proton beam therapy is 'better' overall than radiotherapy".
When is proton beam therapy used?
The treatment is used when it is critical to reduce damage to healthy tissue and vital organs, particularly in brain cancers in young people where their brains are still developing. It is also used to treat cancers in adults when they occur near vital areas such as the optic nerve.
However, according to the NHS "these types of cancer make up a very small proportion of all cancer diagnoses", and it is not recommended in the majority of cases. Cancer Research UK estimates that proton beam therapy would only be suitable for one per cent of all cancer patients.
Why was it not given to Ashya?
Proton beam therapy is generally not available on the NHS. There is only one proton beam machine in the UK, at a hospital in Merseyside, but it is low-energy and therefore not effective at treating brain cancers.
Two new high-energy proton beam centres are being built in London and Manchester and are expected to be completed by 2018. Until then, patients can be referred for treatment abroad, but only if they fulfil strict diagnostic criteria.
Dr Peter Wilson, lead paediatrician at Southampton general hospital told The Guardian that the therapy was not recommended for Ashya as x-ray radiation would still be necessary to treat other parts of his body. "For this particular tumour, the reason why the proton beam was not deemed to be of any benefit is because you have to irradiate most of the brain and spine anyway," he said.
Ashya King: parents freed from Spanish prison
3 September
Brett and Naghemeh King have been released from Spanish prison after prosecutors in the UK dropped child cruelty charges against them due to 'insufficient evidence'.
The Kings will be reunited with five-year-old Ashya later today. "We will go to see my son as soon as possible," Mr King told reporters, after being released from prison in Madrid. "We have been dying to see his face for so long."
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service told the BBC the charges were dropped because "we consider there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction for any criminal offence".
The decision by the CPS follows calls from David Cameron, Nick Clegg and other senior politicians for the family to be reunited.
An international manhunt across the UK, France and Spain was launched last week after the Kings took Ashya, who is seriously ill with stage four cancer, out of a Southampton hospital against medical advice.
They travelled to Spain to sell an apartment to fund treatment for Ashya that is not routinely offered in the UK. A clinic in the Czech Republic has now said it is prepared to offer Ashya the proton beam treatment the NHS would not give him. Sky News reports that his doctors in the UK are willing to refer him there.
David Cameron welcomed their release, tweeting: "It's important this little boy gets treatment and the love of his family."
A Downing Street spokesperson told the BBC that the Home Office is expected to launch an inquiry into Hampshire police's handling of the case, following criticism of their "heavy-handed" actions. Southampton General Hospital has also begun an internal inquiry into the case.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 2, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
A 'transformative' gene therapy for haemophilia B
The Explainer Costly treatment that could be 'truly life-changing' for patients with rare blood disorder gets funding boost
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Infected blood scandal: will justice be served?
Today's Big Question Government apologises for 'decades-long moral failure' and promises £10bn compensation but true accountability may take far longer
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Immunotherapy and hay fever
The Explainer Research shows that the treatment could provide significant relief from symptoms for many hay fever sufferers
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The pros and cons of universal health care
Pros and Cons A medical system that serves everyone comes with its own costs, and they're not only financial
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Last updated
-
Martha's Rule: patients given right to urgent second opinion
The Explainer Hospitals in England will launch new scheme that will allow access to a rapid treatment review
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The contaminated blood scandal
The Explainer Widely regarded as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, the public inquiry is due to publish its report in May
By The Week UK Published
-
What to say to someone who has cancer
The Explainer Saying something is better than nothing but there are some things to avoid too
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Can Britain's dental crisis be fixed?
The Explainer New proposals include more money for dentists working in under-served areas
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published