Lighting the way for gentler cancer treatment

A new generation of organic optoelectronic materials under development in Scotland could lead to much less painful treatment for skin cancer, according to researchers.

The work is being undertaken by Prof Ifor Samuel at the Organic Semiconductor Centre at St Andrews University as part of wider investigations into organic semiconductors.

Samuel will investigate the medical applications of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in photodynamic therapy — treatment that combines the use of light with drugs.

Using the OLEDs as a light source should make the treatment far less painful, but just as effective, according to Samuel.

‘Existing light sources are big, painful and intimidating lights which require the patient to remain still beneath them,’ he said. ‘We hope to develop an ambulatory treatment that will allow you to walk around wearing the light source.’

Current light sources used in photodynamic therapy are either semiconductor lasers or large arrays of inorganic LEDs at a high intensity, which can be extremely painful.