31 Oct 2006

New patch for skin cancer

A portable "patch" for treating common skin cancers has been developed by researchers in Scotland.

The light-emitting "sticking plaster" is powered by a small battery pack and may make it possible to treat skin cancer patients in their family doctor's office or even at home or work, reported The Herald in the UK

This new portable method is an adaptation of photodynamic therapy (PDT), which requires patients to lie still for several hours under large, intense light sources that activate special anti-cancer creams applied to the skin. PDT is performed in a hospital.

"By adapting the latest technology to an existing treatment method, we have developed a compact light source for treating common skin cancers," said Professor Ifor Samuel, a physicist at St. Andrews University. "It can be worn by the patient in a similar way to a sticking plaster (adhesive bandage), while the battery is carried like an iPod." – (HealthDayNews)

Read more:
Skin Centre

October 2006

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