A ROSYTH teen battling cancer marked a special moment last week by 'ringing the bell' after weeks of intensive treatment.

The Press reported last month that Lee Watson had travelled to Germany to undergo pioneering treatment.

The 16-year-old St Columba’s High pupil was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a bone cancer most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, after experiencing pain in his foot while playing football for Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts.

A tumour was found at the bottom of his spine in January which had grown to the size of a melon.

Thankfully, after intensive chemotherapy, it reduced to the size of a lemon, but more treatment was needed.

Lee headed off to Essen in Germany at the beginning of July for a 33-day cycle of Proton Beam Therapy as well as more rounds of chemo.

On returning home to West Fife, mum Michelle said: "Lee got to ring the bell at the end of his proton treatment – it was a special moment but he still has a long way to go.

"It won't be until next month that he will get a scan to see the results so it's a bit of a waiting game now.

"He has one last round of chemo in Edinburgh this week and we've just been told that he will then be able to ring the bell again to mark the end of that.

"We're hoping to get all the family together for that."

Lee was chosen to undergo pioneering proton treatment because his tumour sits on his spine.

It would be too dangerous to operate because there are so many organs also in that area.

Proton beam therapy is a type of radiotherapy that uses a beam of high-energy protons, which are small parts of atoms, rather than high-energy x-rays to treat specific types of cancer. It enables a dose of high-energy protons to be targeted precisely at a tumour, reducing the damage to surrounding healthy tissues and vital organs, which is an advantage when the cancer is close to a critical part of the body such as the spinal cord.

Michelle added: "It went well but he gets tired very easily.

"He's also lost a lot of weight because he just can't eat when he's on chemo.

"His mates visit but he doesn't really go out so I think he feels like he's missing out.

"He hadn't been to a football match since last year so we took him to one in Germany but it's difficult for him not being able to do these things anymore.

"The protons are still working at the moment so we have to leave getting a scan until next month.

"Germany was fine but I think you just want to be at home when you're unwell."

The Watsons would like to thank charities Love Oliver, Ben's Heroes and Henry Dancer Days for the financial grants they received for their trip to Germany.