New bandage may treat skin cancer
A radiotherapeutic bandage is being tested to treat skin cancer.
Skin cancers are normally treated by surgically removing the tumors followed by radiation therapy to ensure all cancer cells are removed. Radiation therapy is also a primary treatment for inoperable tumors or reoccurring lesions; however, special equipment and facilities are required.
Anthony J. Di Pasqua, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy and his team developed a novel radiotherapeutic bandage as a possible alternative therapy and solution for skin cancer where surgery is partially successful or cannot be performed.
The bandages were placed on mice with SCC for one hour, and the animal’s resulting tumor sizes were measured for up to 15 days in all treatment and control groups to determine efficacy.
“Radiation has a tendency to be a systemic, yet aggressive treatment for patients,” said Di Pasqua. According to Koneru, “These bandages can be individually tailored for easy application on tumor lesions of all shapes and sizes, and manufactured on a large scale.”
On the 15th day after treatment, three out of 10 mice in the radioactive bandage treatment group had complete tumor elimination while the other seven in the same group had significantly smaller volumes compared to the control groups.
In a follow up analysis, Di Pasqua and colleagues will study this technology in a larger animal model to determine the clinical relevance of the radiotherapeutic bandage. They also intend to explore strategies that further optimize the dose of radiation needed for efficacy.
Category: Features, Technology & Devices
