British boy with brain tumor arrives in Prague

PRAGUE (AP) — A British boy who was taken by his parents from a hospital in the U.K. without the consent of doctors has arrived in Prague to get treatment for his brain tumor.

Ashya King, who is five, was flown to the Czech capital on a medically-equipped plane from the Spanish city of Malaga (MAL’-uh-guh).

His parents have been trying to get their son treated with proton beam technology. It targets tumors more directly than radiotherapy, but it isn’t yet available for patients with brain tumors in Britain.

The parents were arrested by Spanish police, but were released after British authorities canceled the arrest warrant. The case has ignited a debate in Britain over children’s health rights.

A doctor in Prague says the boy will undergo tests to determine his current condition. Starting next week, he’ll remain at the hospital while being sent for treatment at a proton therapy center. The therapy should take about five weeks.

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152-c-18-(Alan Clendenning, AP correspondent)-“the Czech Republic”-AP correspondent Alan Clendenning reports Ashya’s parents took the boy from the English hospital in which he was receiving care, but without specific consent of the hospital. (8 Sep 2014)

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151-c-20-(Alan Clendenning, AP correspondent)-“flight to Prague”-AP correspondent Alan Clendenning reports young Ashya King was given the OK to be flown to the Czech Republic by the hospital in Spain. ((Ashya is pronounced ASH’-yuh)) (8 Sep 2014)

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APPHOTO PJO110: Brett King gestures as he answers questions from the media, after visiting Proton Treatment Center where his 5-year-old son Ashya King will receive treatment in Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 8, 2014. A British boy who has a severe brain tumor landed in Prague on Monday for treatment. The boy’s parents, Brett and Naghmeh King, were initially arrested by Spanish police after they removed Ashya without medical consent from a hospital in the English city of Southampton and drove him to Malaga. They were later released after charges against them were dropped by British police. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) (8 Sep 2014)

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APPHOTO PJO107: Ashya King, 5, arrives for pre-cancer treatment examinations at the Motol hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 8, 2014. A British boy who caused an uproar after being taken by his parents from a U.K. hospital without doctors’ consent landed in Prague on Monday to get treatment for his brain tumor. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) (8 Sep 2014)

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