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Ashya King: Prague proton beam therapy to begin Ashya King: Prague proton beam therapy begins
(about 3 hours later)
Brain tumour patient Ashya King is due to undergo his first proton beam treatment at a Czech clinic later. Brain tumour patient Ashya King is undergoing his first proton beam treatment at a Czech clinic.
The five-year-old has been undergoing scans at the Proton Therapy Centre (PTC) in Prague since arriving by private jet from Spain last week. The five-year-old arrived at the Proton Therapy Centre (PTC) in Prague earlier for the first of 30 planned sessions.
A total of 30 irradiation sessions at the clinic are planned. He has been undergoing tests at the clinic over the past week since arriving from Spain.
Parents Brett and Naghemeh King sparked a police hunt when they removed Ashya from Southampton General Hospital on 28 August after disagreeing with doctors.Parents Brett and Naghemeh King sparked a police hunt when they removed Ashya from Southampton General Hospital on 28 August after disagreeing with doctors.
They wanted him to have proton beam therapy, which was not available to them on the NHS.They wanted him to have proton beam therapy, which was not available to them on the NHS.
The couple from Southsea were arrested in Spain and spent several days away from their son, reuniting once the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew the European arrest warrant.The couple from Southsea were arrested in Spain and spent several days away from their son, reuniting once the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew the European arrest warrant.
A clinic spokeswoman said Ashya is due to undergo an hour of irradiation treatment under full anaesthetic shortly after 10:00 local time (09:00 GMT). The family were flown by private jet to Prague ahead of Ashya's treatment at the PTC. He has been undergoing scans over the past week.
A clinic spokeswoman confirmed the irradiation treatment under full anaesthetic has begun.
The treatment is a type of radiation therapy that uses beams of protons - or small parts of atoms - rather than high energy X-rays, as with conventional radiotherapy.The treatment is a type of radiation therapy that uses beams of protons - or small parts of atoms - rather than high energy X-rays, as with conventional radiotherapy.
The protons can be precisely directed at a tumour and, unlike conventional treatments, the beams stop once they hit the target, rather than carrying on through the body.The protons can be precisely directed at a tumour and, unlike conventional treatments, the beams stop once they hit the target, rather than carrying on through the body.
Ashya's attending doctor, radiation oncologist Dr Barbora Ondrova, said: "There is a 70 to 80% survival rate for the condition such as Ashya has and there is now every reason to hope that he will make a full recovery."Ashya's attending doctor, radiation oncologist Dr Barbora Ondrova, said: "There is a 70 to 80% survival rate for the condition such as Ashya has and there is now every reason to hope that he will make a full recovery."
The first 13 sessions will focus on the brain and spine, to ensure the tumour he previously had removed at Southampton General Hospital has not spread, and the remaining 17 will aim at irradiating where the brain tumour once was.The first 13 sessions will focus on the brain and spine, to ensure the tumour he previously had removed at Southampton General Hospital has not spread, and the remaining 17 will aim at irradiating where the brain tumour once was.