News Articles

11th September 2012:- 
Clinical Photobiology Research in the 'Media Spotlight'

Clinical Photobiology Research in the 'Media Spotlight'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-19558666

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5th July 2012:- 
Researching a cellular link between radon and skin cancer

Researching a cellular link between radon and skin cancer from ECEHH.

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8th February 2010:- 
Royal Meeting for Researcher

Dr Alison Curnow, Peninsula Medical School, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro has been invited to London to meet HRH The Prince of Wales. The meeting, chaired by Sir David Frost on behalf of the Killing Cancer Charity, was hosted at University College Hospital to give His Royal Highness and representatives of some of his charities an opportunity to meet leading medical and scientific experts in the area of photodynamic therapy (PDT). A number of patients who have already experienced this technique were also present.

PDT is a relatively new treatment for cancer, which involves the targeted light activation of a pre-administered drug. It has many advantages over traditional surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy in some circumstances and can be delivered repeatedly if required. The treatment also produces excellent cosmetic outcomes and as such is particularly valued in the treatment of certain skin cancers and pre-cancers. The Clinical Photobiology Group, based at the Dermatology Department of Royal Cornwall Hospital, has treated more skin cancer patients with dermatological PDT than any other centre in the UK.

Dr Curnow said: "It was a great pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to His Royal Highness about the excellent PDT service we are providing our skin cancer patients in Cornwall. We hope that with further funding we will be able to continue researching this state of the art treatment, so we can widen its application to benefit even more patients than currently possible.

Dr. Alison Curnow, third from right, meets HRH The Prince of Wales at University College Hospital, London

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28th September 2009:- 
Name change for the Cornwall Dermatology Research Group

The Cornwall Dermatology Research Group has changed its name to Clinical Photobiology.

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9th July 2009:- 
International Role for Medical School Researcher

Dr. Alison Curnow from the Peninsula Medical School in Truro has been appointed Secretary General of the International Photodynamic Association (IPA). Her appointment was announced at the association's biennial conference in Seattle.

The IPA was founded in 1986 and its membership consists of the most prominent international clinicians and scientists involved in performing and researching photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photo-diagnosis (PD). The purpose of the IPA is to promote the study of diagnosis and treatment using light and photosensitisers, to disseminate such information to the members of the IPA, the medical community and to the general public.

Dr. Curnow and her team are at the forefront of the use of PDT in the treatment of skin cancers and pre-cancers.

They have modified a PDT treatment that combines a topically applied cream with visible light to destroy cancer cells while leaving surrounding tissue unharmed.

The cream is applied directly to skin cancers and pre-cancers, which then naturally produces a photosensitive drug. A special red light is then shone on the tumour a few hours later, to activate this light sensitive compound. This results in cellular damage and the destruction of the tumour.

This technique results in reduced scarring and little or no damage to the surrounding healthy cells.

By adding the iron chelator CP94 to the cream, the research team have found that the effects of PDT are greatly improved and achieve greater reductions in tumour depth in tumours currently too thick to be treated easily by the non-enhanced form of this treatment.

This is the first time in the world that PDT trials of this modified PDT treatment have been carried out involving humans. Trials involving patients have taken place at clinics at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust in Truro.

PDT is achieving success in the treatment of actinic keratoses (lesions that can develop after years of exposure to UV light); Bowen's disease (the growth of abnormal calls that can turn into skin cancer, and that is partly due to long-term exposure to the sun); and basal cell carcinoma (the most common form of non-melanoma skin cancer).

The work of the Peninsula Medical School in this area of research is funded in part by the Duchy Health Charity in Cornwall.

Dr. Curnow commented: "I am delighted to have been appointed Secretary General of the IPA. Not only is this a great personal achievement, but it also stands testament to the quality and innovation of the work of my research group and colleagues at the Peninsula Medical School and Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. I greatly look forward to leading this international society who aim to further develop this exciting treatment modality for patient benefit."

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1st August 2006:- 
Welcome to the Cornwall Dermatology Research Group News Section!

Welcome to the Cornwall Dermatology Research Group News Section!

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