Light Therapy Could Replace Surgery in Treating Skin Cancer

The multistep PDT process involves the application of a pharmaceutical to the skin, absorption of the pharmaceutical into the skin, and subsequent conversion of the drug to an active photosensitizer (typically taking 3 hours), followed by the controlled exposure of light via the Ambulight light source, inducing a photoactive reaction that activates the drug and destroys the skin cancer cells. The device is designed to deliver a low intensity, high-uniformity light, with a wavelength matched to the appropriate PDT cream and treatment protocol. Once taped to the patient's skin, the device is small enough to allow movement whilst undergoing treatment. The Ambulight PDT is a product of Ambicare Health (Fife, United Kingdom), and has received the European Community (CE) marking.

"The Ambulight PDT is the most advanced ambulatory PDT device to treat nonmelanoma skin cancer to be developed to date,” said Ian Muirhead, CEO of Ambicare Health. "We believe that it is the future for this kind of treatment; Ambulight PDT will reduce costs for the healthcare provider by freeing up hospital day patient beds or cubicles and improve patient care by allowing them to continue with their normal daily lives during treatment.”

"This new device can be taken away home with the patients,” said James Ferguson, M.D. a professor of dermatology at Ninewells hospital (Dundee, United Kingdom). "It is escaping from the hospital environment, making for a gentler approach to skin cancer treatment.”

Alternative treatment methods to PDT are surgery, use of topical creams, and cryotherapy. Each of these can be painful, irritate the skin, and leave scars and can be highly stressful for the patient. PDT treatment, on the other hand, is less invasive than surgery and avoids the scarring associated with surgical removal of the lesion, which can often require an in-patient hospital stay.

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