- Clinical research in the development of thermal lasers has treated around 2000 patents endoscopically and 800 in interoperative treatments.
- Development of Photodynamic Therapy, PDT has involved clinical studies of over 500 patients.
- First Light (phase I) has been recently completed with the treatment of more than 200 patients. It investigated the identification of lung cancer in its developmental stages using fluorescence bronchoscopy. Results of this have been presented at scientific meetings and also published. Some of the results have been published in the Thorax; these show that it is possible to diagnose early stage cancers within the bronchus and to treat these with PDT. We are hoping to find funding for phase II of this important study, the first stage of which was financed by a single, substantial donation.
- Ethical Committee approval has been granted for a Pilot Study into the use of PDT in cancer of the prostate. Initial work has focused on light dose and fibre placement.
- A PhD student at the University of Hull has recently completed her thesis on the use of PDT in parasitic conditions and infections. It is hoped that this will lead to further work in infection control, notably in the area of MRSA, one of the hospital acquired infections.
- The initial stage of a gynaecology project (with Ethical Committee approval) has been completed and the results published in the Journal of Photo diagnosis and Photo Dynamic Therapy (PDPDT). This involves the use of PDT in gynaecological conditions for which, formerly, the patient would have had no option other than a radical and disfiguring operation.
- General surgery is showing extremely encouraging results with the use of thermal laser in the treatment of haemorrhoids which removes the need for a painful surgical excision and is very popular with the patients on the study.