Brasília - Researchers from São Carlos and Ribeirão Preto, in the state of São Paulo, are trying to discover alternative ways to treat skin cancer. The study is being conducted by the schools of medicine and chemistry at the Ribeirão Preto campus of the University of São Paulo (USP) and the physics department at the USP campus in São Carlos. They are testing new drugs and the prototype of a domestically manufacturered laser device that reduces the cost of treatment.

The clinical trials have already produced positive results. The 100 patients on which the therapy was tested showed a 70-80% improvement in cases of skin cancer. The laser beam activates the drug applied to the lesion, without surgery or counterindications, and the skin heals in three months.

"Photodynamic therapy is a proposed treatment for cancer; nevertheless, it can be used for other disorders through the association of a light source with a topical remedy to destroy tumor cells," affirmed the researcher, Casilda da Silva Souza.

Agência Brasil
Translator: David Silberstein
08/11/2004