Needle-Free light therapy shows promise for common skin cancer
NCT ID NCT04552990
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested a new way to treat basal cell carcinoma, a common skin cancer. Instead of surgery, doctors used a jet-injection device to deliver a drug called ALA into the tumor, then activated it with red light. The trial included 16 adults with small, low-risk BCCs and aimed to see if the treatment was safe and caused only mild side effects.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- aminolevulinic acid (ALA)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a less invasive treatment option for certain basal cell carcinomas, potentially reducing the need for surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-phase trial with only 16 participants, focused on safety. It is not designed to prove effectiveness, and the approach may not work for all types of BCC or may cause skin reactions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
16 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Sep 2020
- Finished
-
Apr 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Subjects who meet all of the following criteria are eligible to participate in this study * Histologically-verified, previously untreated low-risk mixed superficial and nodular BCC(s) or nodular BCC(s) \< 1 cm in diameter on scalp, extremities, or trunk. * ≥ 18 years of age * Owner of a smartphone (Android or iPhone). Patients without a working smartphone will not be considered eligible for this study. * Being able to download application on their phone * Being able to take pictures of their treated BCC(s) (with or without assistance) * Female subjects of childbearing potential must be confirmed not pregnant by a negative urine pregnancy test prior to trial treatment. (Female subjects are considered of childbearing potential unless they have been hysterectomized or have undergone tubal ligation or have been post-menopausal for at least one year prior to the first visit) * Legally competent, able to give verbal and written informed consent * Subject in good general health and willing to participate comply with protocol requirements. * Superficial and nodular BCC(s) Exclusion Criteria: Subjects meeting any one of the following criteria are not eligible to participate in this study * High-risk BCC(s) (H area, \>1 cm in M area, or \>2 cm in L area) * BCC(s) subtype morpheaform * Diagnosed with gorlin syndrome * Receiving immunosuppressive medication * Subjects with a known allergy to ALA * Individuals with other interfering skin diseases in the area of treatment * Subjects with a tattoo in the treatment area which may interfere with or confound the evaluation of the study * Subjects with a history of keloids which is deemed clinically relevant in the opinion of the investigator * Lactating or pregnant women * Patient who are taking prescription pain medications or can not stop OTC pain medications.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York, 10065, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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