TEL AVIV - Skin cancer can be treated by injecting cancer cells with healthy skin cells, Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv said in a new study released to coincide with Skin Cancer Awareness week.
The one-of-a-kind treatment treatment, called Photodynamic Therapy, is successful about 85 percent of the time and does not require further surgery.
Photodynamic Therapy can be used for non-melanoma skin cancers. Each year, 10,000 new cases of skin cancer are reported in Israel. This cancer usually develops in the cretin cells, the majority of epidermis (outermost layer of skin) cells, usually on regions of the body exposed to direct sunlight, such as the hands, face and back.
The treatment is administered in two phases. During the first stage, the cancerous skin is smeared with a special cream, high in amino acidity. This acid, found naturally in the body, has the potential of being absorbed by affected body tissue.
After applying the cream, an absorbent substance is applied to the cancerous cells.
In the second stage, the affected area is exposed to low wattage red light for several minutes. This light creates a photodynamic reaction by which the skin works the absorbed substance into the cells, while the oxygen creates free radicals. The oxygen then destroys the cancerous cells. Most of the time, there are no side effects, except for slight stinging, burning or pain.
"In theory, Photodynamic Therapy is appropriate for any type of skin growth, but there is a limit to the number of ways to expose inner limbs in the skin. Because of this, we recommend the treatment to skin cancer patients, with the exception of melanoma," said Prof. Hanoch Kishtan, an expert in general surgery and Photodynamic Therapy at Ichilov Medical Center.
The therapy is not included in the basic national health benefits package at this time.
