Proton or photon? Cancer-bashing particles

Broadcaster: BBC One

Year: 2016

Genre: News

URL: http://bobnational.net/record/363299

Review by Ella Yabsley

A study published on the Lancet Oncology website in January 2016 reported that proton beam therapy was as effective as traditional photon radiotherapy for the treatment of paediatric medulloblastoma (a childhood brain cancer). The paper also suggests proton radiotherapy reduces toxicity towards normal tissues (compared to photon radiotherapy) and could improve long-term health outcomes for children with malignant brain cancer. At the present time, the NHS are paying for eligible patients to receive proton treatment abroad. From 2019, two new NHS proton beam therapy facilities will be opened in London and Manchester (more by private institutions).

This video file (11 mins), a combination of several shorter pieces from Breakfast News, gives background to the development including an interview with a paediatric oncologist who explains what the study does, and does not, show. It is a (relatively) large study but the observations appear not to be a surprise to those working in the field; the interest may be linked to the controversy surrounding the Ashya King case.

Why are thin people not fat? (Horizon)

Philipp Scherer demonstrates a tenth of the body fat we would find in a lean person

Broadcaster: BBC4 (originally BBC2)

Year: 2015 (originally January 2009)

Genre: Documentary

URL: http://bobnational.net/record/284706 *

Review by Lorna McCall

This episode of the documentary series Horizon follows an experiment conducted by Swedish scientist Fredrik Nystrom. In contrast to most studies on obesity, which focus on the laready-overweight, Nystrom takes a novel approach by studying individuals who struggle to put on weight. This programme delves into many different factors the body employs to control our body weight. The following times indicate the start of relevant sections (which are also provided as clips):