Whilst many of the treatments are palliative and undertaken with the intention of improving patients' quality of life, research and experience has led to an increasing number of cancer treatments being undertaken in early stage disease with the intention of cure without the need for surgical operation. Treatment is carried out as a day-case procedure which impacts on quality of life for the patient and also on costs.

The use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and in combination with photo-detection (PD) and thermal lasers, is growing rapidly. An increasing number of conditions are now being treated successfully and medical professionals are urged to discover more and refer where PCTs are supporting treatment.

The Centre's Clinical Director, Professor Moghissi, has developed an international reputation in the field of laser therapy. He is a member of the NICE specialist committees as well as being on the Editorial Board of a number of international medical journals and Editor in Chief of Photodiagnosis and Photo Dynamic Therapy. As a cardio-thoracic surgeon, Professor Moghissi’s own specialism is in lung and oesophagus; in these areas thousands of patients have now been treated. All research is presented at national and international scientific meetings and also submitted for publication to international peer-reviewed journals.

Laser equipment has become increasingly compact over the years and much of it is now suitable for transporting to other hospitals. The Centre has established a Mobile Treatment and Training Unit (MTTU) in order that patients may have the opportunity of being treated at their "home hospital". This unit provides equipment and expertise to surgeons who might, otherwise, not have lasers available for their use. Initial results of its use were published in PDPDT and attracted considerable interest from around Europe.

Treatments are carried out with a range of lasers to treat cancers and a number of other conditions in:

• Bronchus (lung)
• oesophagus
• urological tract
• gynaecology
• dermatology
• head & neck cancers
• secondary breast cancer