Where breast cancer is concerned, the charity is involved in funding a new trial – believed to be the first in the world - for PDT for breast cancer that will run jointly in the UK and in the USA.

In the Phase 1 trial with 12 patients, the patients involved will be those who are already booked for a full mastectomy but have kindly agreed to delay this procedure for three days to allow PDT experimentation to take place.

At the time of writing, we don’t know which of two different PDT drugs will be used for this trial. In either case, the PDT drug used will not leave the patient light sensitive beyond two days of the procedure taking place.

The cancerous area will be treated with the PDT on Day 1, and on Day 3 the target area will be removed as part of the mastectomy process.

The aim, with this Phase 1 stage, is to monitor the degree of cancer destruction that the teams are able to achieve.

We will be seeking volunteers to take part in this Phase 1 trial in both the UK and the USA.

The results of the cancer destruction in this trial will determine how the teams go forward in Phase 2, when 24 – 36 patients will be treated but who are NOT due to have mastectomy. The aim will be to destroy the cancer tumour without need for surgery or the use of any other techniques.

Patients will receive full follow-ups, and be able to have a second PDT treatment if further cancerous areas are discovered. They can also be offered other treatments.

The Phase 3 study with 300 – 360 patients, will take place following the completion of Phase 2, and be a ‘randomised’ trial where half of the same receive the PDT drug, and the other half a placebo.

The desire, all being well, is to complete the three Phases within two – three years.

The breast cancer work will be led in the UK by Dr Mohammed Keshtgar at the Royal Free Hospital in London, working with colleagues at the Harvard Medical School in the USA.

When the trial is ready to start recruiting patients, we will announce this on the website.