NICE has assessed the Ambulight PDT device to help the NHS decide whether to use this product.
Photodynamic therapy (sometimes called PDT) works by using light to activate a special cream that is applied to the skin, causing cells to die. Usually this is done with a stationary machine. Ambulight PDT uses photodynamic therapy to treat certain skin cancers (called non-melanoma). It is a small light that sticks to the skin with a plaster, and is connected to a pocket-sized battery. Healthcare teams may want to use Ambulight PDT because it can be used to give photodynamic therapy in places other than hospitals, such as patients’ homes. It may also cause less pain than normal photodynamic therapy. However, NICE has said that the evidence does not show that Ambulight PDT would make services more efficient, and that there is not much evidence about how well it works. NICE has said that NHS organisations should take this into account, along with other features of Ambulight PDT, when deciding whether to use it.
ISBN: 978-1-4731-1217-9
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