BOLTON men are to be treated with a revolutionary new cancer technique being tested at the Christie Hospital.

The leading cancer hospital, which deals with patients referred from the Royal Bolton Hospital, is carrying out a new treatment called Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT).

The new radiotherapy will involve several local men who have prostate cancer.

The treatment will be delivered by a linear accelerator -- which uses high-energy radiation beams to destroy cancerous tumours.

Radiation is delivered to the exact shape of cancerous tumours to prevent damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

The findings will be made public soon but Christie experts hope the results will show the benefits and that the new system for treatment (IMRT) can be introduced into clinical practice as soon as possible.

The trial has been taking place in the new radiotherapy research centre at the Christie.

It opened in June and is the first of its kind in the country.

The Christie Hospital is a specialist hospital with more than 10,000 new patients registered each year. It is a specialist centre, patients travel to the Christie from all over the North-west and beyond.