Best birthday present ever for Alex after getting all-clear from doctors

A youngster has received his "best birthday present ever" – the news that the cancer which threatened his life appears to be clear.

The news comes a year after five-year-old Alex Barnes had pioneering proton therapy in America to remove a cancerous brain tumour.

Alex, from Fleckney, was diagnosed with the tumour in February 2006 and had an operation that September.

Parents Rosalie and Paul thought the surgery had cured him, and were devastated when cancer returned a few months later. Alex was only given a 25% to 35% chance of survival.

But with the help of a massive fund-raising campaign by friends, family and school pals, Mr and Mrs Barnes were able to take their son to America for proton therapy, which uses a laser directed at the affected area to destroy the cancerous tissue around a tumour.

A year on, scans at Leicester Royal Infirmary have so far revealed Alex, who is six on November 12, is clear of the tumour. Mrs Barnes said: "It is the best birthday present ever. It has been a very tense two or three weeks waiting for the latest scan results. Words can't describe how we felt when we heard that they show no signs of the tumour."

Alex will have to have scans every four months for the next four years. They will then be carried out every six months for the foreseeable future.

Mrs Barnes said: "We know the proton therapy is not a miracle cure but it is the best new treatment. Every time a scan comes back clear it gives us a little more confidence."

She added: "We feel extremely fortunate.

"We aren't out of the woods yet.

"Alex is still quite small for his age and may have stopped growing since he had chemotherapy but we are hopeful that it will be fine."

His family are now concentrating on celebrating the latest good news, and preparing a birthday party for Alex.

Mrs Barnes said: "As a mother it can sometimes be quite difficult to let Alex live a normal life and give him the freedom he wants such as playing out with his friends."

She has now given her backing to a move by the Department of Health to make proton therapy available in Britain. Health officials are looking at hospitals where it might be provided.

Dr Adrian Crellin, chairman of the National Commissioning Group for proton therapy, said: "I am delighted that work has now started to offer proton therapy services in the UK.

"It is a much safer way of treating specific types of cancer that occur in the retina, skull and spine without damaging vital organs. However, it is important to remember that it is necessary for less than 1% of patients and modern conventional radiotherapy continues to be the most effective and best treatment for the majority."