A laser that can zap cancers and avoid scarring is being underused, say experts – despite having been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice).

The Daily Mail reports that photodynamic therapy (PDT) can avoid the physical scarring that surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy sometimes leave behind.

The technique works by giving the patient a drug that only becomes active once a light shines on it. The light is mounted on a flexible tube that can be inserted at any point of the body – and once the light is shining, the cancer cells absorb the drug and are destroyed.

For many patients only one treatment is necessary – and a session can last as little as half-an-hour.

The therapy is useful for treating skin cancers and received Nice approval for treating oral cancers and head and neck cancer six years’ ago.

However, as few as 1 per cent of patients eligible for the therapy actually receive it – despite the advantages and the fact that PDT allows healthy tissues to grow back once the tumour or skin malignancy has been treated.

The therapy can also prevent patients with throat cancer from losing the ability to speak, as it can treat malignant cells without the tongue and voicebox having to be removed. However, out of 8,000 cases of head and neck cancer last year, only 180 received PDT, mainly at University College London (UCL) hospitals.

Cancer specialists at UCL also say PDT could also save the NHS between £1bn and £2bn annually.

Of the 76,000 newly diagnosed skin cancer cases eligible for the treatment annually, only a few thousand receive PDT, which could save patients from the further trauma of having to undergo skin grafts.

Colin Hopper, a surgeon from UCL’s National Medical Laser Centre, said:

'It doesn't damage nearby tissue and there's rarely any scarring. It's also far cheaper: surgery can cost £6,000 if reconstructive work is needed, compared with £1,000 for PDT.

Just 300 cancer patients in total received the treatment last year – out of a possible 300,000. Many patients are not advised of the existence of PDT by doctors – and some are advised incorrectly that the treatment does not work or is at an experimental stage.

The Department of Health said it was ‘up to clinicians’ to decide whether to use the therapy and added:

'We are committed to ensuring that newer treatments are made available as widely as possible – and a review of the evidence will be published in spring 2010.’

A new campaign to raise awareness and increase the use of PDT in cancer treatment is being spearheaded by musician Robert Plant, whose friend was given the treatment – but only after he pushed for it, the musician says. More information about the campaign is available at www.killingcancer.co.uk

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