Cancer cells

Revolutionary skin cancer technology trial launches

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust have launched a ground-breaking trial that has the potential to “revolutionise” the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer.

The study will trial a one-of-a-kind ‘skinometer’ that identifies how far cancers have spread under the skin – the skinometer works by producing terahertz waves that bounce off the skin and allow clinicians to see how far the cancer has spread under the skin by analysing the waveforms of the reflected light.

It is thought that this will give health professionals the information they need to drastically cut down operating times, which would improve the patient experience, balance workforce workload and boost overall health outcomes.

Professor Joe Hardwicke, UHCW skin cancer surgeon, said: "Some skin cancers can be below the skin that we can't actually see, so when we do remove them surgically, occasionally a little bit can be left behind. The hope with this technology is that we can be more accurate in our surgery and remove more of the cancers on the first occasion.”

The new technology will also determine the moisture levels in the skin and how it reacts to different moisturisers, ultimately informing the design and development of more effective sun creams – additionally, the study could help staff assess how effectively the NHS treats dry skin conditions like psoriasis.

Professor Emma MacPherson from the University of Warwick, who helped develop the skinometer, said: “Skin cancer rates have increased rapidly in the UK, with more than 16,000 new cases every year.

“As well as helping prevention by aiding sunscreen development, the new skinometer will speed up the treatment pathway, achieving better outcomes, reducing patient stress and making more effective use of NHS resources.

“It could potentially enter clinical use within five years and, beyond that timeframe, could eventually become a feature of GP surgeries. My vision is that ultimately the technology can also be extended to benefit detection of a variety of different cancers such as breast and colon cancers.”

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, which is part of UK Research and Innovation, provided £653,000 of funding for this project, with additional support also coming from Cancer Research UK.

NHE March/April 2024

NHE March/April 2024

A window into the past, present and future of healthcare leadership.

- Steve Gulati, University of Birmingham 

More articles...

View all
Online Conference

Presenting

2024 Online Conferences

In partnership with our community of health sector leaders responsible for delivering the UK's health strategy across the NHS and the wider health sector, we’ve devised a collaborative calendar of conferences and events for industry leaders to listen, learn and collaborate through engaging and immersive conversation. 

All our conferences are CPD accredited, which means you can gain points to advance your career by attending our online conferences. Also, the contents are available on demand so you can re-watch at your convenience.

National Health Executive Podcast

Ep 42. Leadership in the NHS

In episode 42 of the National Health Executive podcast we were joined by Steve Gulati who is an associate professor at the University of Birmingham as well as director of healthcare leadership at the university’s Health Services Management Centre.