A new technology, known as “a needle-free jet injection” has been developed for treating skin cancer patients. The new way is far more effective than topical application on the skin.

The new system, which generates a high-speed liquid jet with adequate intensity to pierce the skin without using needles, has been developed by Pharmacy PhD student Desmond Morrow from Queen’s University in Belfast.

Morrow said that it could possibly ameliorate the photodynamic therapy’s effectiveness. This therapy uses a laser light combined with the light-activated drug to destroy cancer cells.

The treatment will be soon presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester.

Morrow said, “Photodynamic therapy is a relatively new form of skin cancer treatment which results in tumor death.”

“However, sometimes its success in individual patients is limited by the poor penetration of the active agent into the tumor. Our research shows that a new way of administering the drug can improve the amount that crosses the skin barrier and gets to the required site,” he added.