NIR-PIT in the UK yet?

Hi Mark S

Thanks for getting in touch.

My name is Paula and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

Welcome to the online community. I hope you’re finding it helpful to look at.

I’m sorry to hear how unwell you’ve been. I can understand your concerns about your diagnosis and the difficulties you’ve faced with the team at the Royal Derby Hospital.

Treatment decisions are always difficult to make and not made lightly. It’s even harder when you’re on the receiving end of that decision making made by a medical team.

The multi-disciplinary team would have considered all the risk and benefits of any surgery or cancer treatment based on your, medical history and your survival chances. However, I am unsure why you’ve been denied access to speak to an oncologist about your diagnosis and if there is any other treatment options that might be available. People do get a second opinion and I am pleased you’ve considered that option at the Leeds Glenfield.

I have looked at the article you mentioned in The Lancet. I hope this is the article you are referring too. The article says it is considered a potential new line of cancer treatment and has been used in Japan for head and neck cancers. Currently there are further worldwide trials being done. What I’ve read so far this study was done on animals and there was limitations within this study. On further reading it been used in other solid tumours but not for Kidney cancer that I am aware off.

It's not a line of treatment I have come across being used currently in the NHS. I have searched a number of leading databases such as National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) who fund treatments in the UK, the Royal Marsden, Cancer Research and the Christie’s hospital to see if I can find any trials on this line of treatment being done here in the UK. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything.

It's important to be also aware if there are any such trials, they have a strict eligibility criteria. Your medical history would be taken into account and that may impact on your eligibility for certain trials but not all the time.

It may be worth talking to Kidney Cancer UK or other support organisations to see if they aware of the Near Infrared(NIR) PhotoImmunoTherapy(PIT). They maybe in an ideal position to give you more up-to-date information on this line of treatment.

Getting a cancer diagnosis isn’t easy and there are many daily challenges. Coping with these changes can be hard for many people as they bring a lot of uncertainties.

You may find it helpful to talk to one of our nurses on the support line. Sometimes giving us a call can help. It’s a free phone number on 0808 808 0000 and we are here 7 days a week, 8am-8pm or email us. 

I hope this information has been helpful, please don’t hesitate to get back in touch.

 Ref: PW/AMc