Sticking plaster that zaps skin cancer
January 23rd, 2011 - 9:14 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Jan 23 (IANS) A revolutionary light-emitting sticking plaster can help zap skin cancers. The device, called the Ambulight, is a form of photodynamic therapy (PDT) - an alternative to surgery for many forms of skin cancer - using laser, combined with a light-sensitive drug to destroy cancer cells.
PDT treatment avoids the scarring associated with surgical removal of the tumour and the need for a hospital stay. It consists of a disc-shaped pod about an inch across that houses medical-grade red LED lights. The light source is attached to a controller the size of a mobile phone, the Daily Mail reports.
Photosensitising cream is rubbed on to the skin, and the pod is attached to the skin with a plaster.
The cream takes three hours to penetrate the skin, then the pod turns on. Three hours later the light switches off and the device can be disposed of. Patients can move freely during treatment.
Ambulight’s developer James Ferguson, professor of dermatology at Britain’s Dundee University, hopes the treatment will eventually be offered at surgeries.
“Trials have shown it to be up to 90 percent as effective as hospital treatment and it’s a lot gentler,” he says.
The Ambulight plaster has just received a European licence and is now being rolled out to hospitals in Britain.
- Now, sticking plaster that can cure cancer - Mar 12, 2010
- Soon, a glowing band-aid to treat skin cancer - May 05, 2009
- Targeted photodynamic therapy offers hope for skin cancer patients - Apr 12, 2011
- Can skin cancer be treated with light? - Oct 19, 2010
- Light therapy offers 'non-invasive' breast cancer treatment - Jun 30, 2009
- Novel therapy to destroy cancer cells via laser drug activation - Oct 13, 2009
- Robert Plant campaigns for new cancer treatment - Oct 16, 2009
- New on-off 'switch' triggers, reverses paralysis in animals with light beam - Feb 04, 2010
- Drug-light combo effective against head, neck cancers - Oct 05, 2009
- New study paves way for better cancer treatment - Feb 05, 2011
- Star Trek -style infrared probe could treat skin cancer - Nov 07, 2010
- Light sensitive drugs to target cancer - Jun 05, 2011
- Now, a cream made of snail slime that promises to banish wrinkles! - Mar 28, 2011
- Astonishing bionic enables blind to see - Nov 22, 2011
- Cure cancer in just two hours - Jan 06, 2012
Tags: cancer cells, daily mail, dermatology, dundee university, forms of skin cancer, hospitals, james ferguson, led lights, light source, london jan, mobile phone, photodynamic therapy pdt, pod, skin cancer, skin cancers, sticking plaster, tumour