The NHS plans to offer an advanced form of radiotherapy for rare cancers of the brain, eye and spinal cord.

Hospitals in England have been invited to bid to provide proton therapy, which can treat tumours without damaging vital organs.

In proton therapy, a cyclotron is used to produce a beam of heavy particles or protons. This beam can be targeted more precisely on the cancer than in radiotherapy given by a linear accelerator.

The main types of cancer currently treated by proton therapy occur in the retina, the base of the skull and the upper spine. Until now, UK patients needing proton therapy have had to travel overseas to receive it.

Health Minister Ann Keen said: "I have asked the National Specialised Commissioning Team to identify possible providers, as I want this important technology to be available to NHS patients in England as soon as possible.

"This is significant news for patients with rare cancers, especially children, as having proton beam therapy will mean that they will receive a better quality of treatment and will not suffer from potential side-effects such hearing loss and reduced IQ."

Martin Ledwick of Cancer Research UK commented: "It is good to see the Department of Health encouraging the development of different forms of radiotherapy. Although, at the moment, the number of people this treatment is likely to help is quite small, it is possible that as we learn more about it, proton therapy may have the potential to have a bigger impact on cancer treatment."

The DH will work with the National Specialised Commissioning Team to select providers who can treat around 1,500 patients in England each year. It hopes to make the services available within three to five years.

Ann Keen