At the recent 30th Congress of the European Society of Dermatology and Venereology EADV, Brazilian scientists reported that It can also be used at home A photodynamic device has been developed to treat the most common type of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma. In addition, treatment at home with the device is much less painful than similar treatments in a hospital, yet its effectiveness is similar to in-hospital treatment. For this procedure, a coin-sized device was developed and attached to the skin. With this, the patient can also perform the treatment at home. A cream containing 20 percent methylaminolevulinate was used, which, when illuminated with a light of an appropriate wavelength, leads to the formation of oxygen free radicals that kill cancer cells. Histological examination of patients showed that after 30 days of treatment
The cure rate was 86.67 percent,
It is similar to the effectiveness of in-hospital photodynamic therapy, but patients reported significantly less pain. Study leader Ana Gabriela Salvio said she and her colleagues have been working on the method for a long time, but the coronavirus pandemic is speeding up work. This is because during the pandemic, it became difficult to carry out treatments in the hospital, due to quarantine and restrictions, many patients did not reach the hospital and the number of hospital beds was less.
Basal cell carcinoma is responsible for about 70 to 80 percent of all skin cancers and their occurrence grow Shows direction. This tumor most commonly occurs in the head and neck, but it can appear on the skin of any part of the body. The main risk factor is the amount and quality of sunlight that has reached the skin’s surface over the years. UV-B radiation is thought to be primarily responsible for the development of basal cell carcinomas, but excessive amounts of UV-A, as when using a tanning bed, also appear as a pathogen.
Genetic predisposition, familial accumulation, and a weakened immune system may also play a role in the development of basal cell carcinoma. In Hungary, similar to the average in Central Europe, about 100-200 new cases are recorded per 100,000 people per year, but this can be very different due to differences in geographical location and skin type of the population between countries. In Australia, for example, the infection rate is ten times higher than in Hungary. Celebrities, for example, Hugh Jackman openly admitted his illness. He needed surgery five times for basal cell carcinoma, so he encouraged everyone to use sunscreen and get a dermatologist on his Instagram.
Mary Aleth Richard, board member of the European Society of Dermatology, and professor at Marseille University Hospital, said the method could potentially lead to a breakthrough in the treatment of the most common type of skin cancer, but first requires a clinical trial that includes more patients than at present.
The author is Candidate of Medicine, c. professor.
(Cover Photo: BSIP Images/UIG/Getty)
