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Light therapy used in cancer treatment
Sophie Goodchild, Health and Social Affairs Correspondent30 Jun 2009
A radical new breast cancer treatment that uses light to kill tumours will be unveiled in London today.
The photodynamic therapy is to be tested at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead. It works by giving the patient a drug that makes the target area sensitive to light. A laser is then beamed on the area.
The process starves the tumorous cells of oxygen, causing them to die, yet leaves the breast unchanged. Researchers hope it could become an alternative to chemotherapy and surgery.
"The appeal of photodynamic therapy is that it attacks and destroys cancer cells while retaining the viability of surrounding normal cells," said Mr Mo Keshtgar, who is leading the study.
Reader views (2)
Great news. Have just undergone lumpectomy and looking forward to HOPE for fellow sufferers in the near future.
- Harsha Jain, Ambala Cantt India, 01/07/2009 17:22
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This is quite a news for the people who want to take chemotherapy because it will help retain good tissues and cells that cannot be saved in chemo. But is this therapy successful. I myself am a victim of the dreaded disease and also have gone through trauma of chemotherapy and wish this new technique works.
- Rashmi Mewani, Aurangabad, India., 30/06/2009 18:34
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