New City MD Working on Skin Cancer Treatment Device

NEW CITY, NY — Peter Friedman, MD, PhD of New City is working with a group of engineers and physicists at Drexel University in developing a non-thermal, atmospheric pressure plasma device to treat skin cancers.

Initial results published in the February 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology demonstrate the efficacy of NTAP to treat precancerous, actinic keratosis (AK) lesions. If left alone, AK lesions can grow into a skin cancer, a squamous cell carcinoma.

"The distinction between actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma can be subtle at times as they have many similar features. We believe that successfully treating actinic keratoses may lead us to treat squamous cell carcinomas," said Dr. Friedman. "Current treatments are often painful, cause irritation and inflammation. Many patients with chronic sun damage and recurring actinic keratoses dread their office visits. This is a painless treatment that can do the same and treat a large area without any side effects."

Dr. Friedman plans to expand the study to include more patients to optimize the treatment parameters.

Dr. Friedman is the author of more than 40 research and clinical articles published in peer-reviewed dermatological and general scientific journals. In private practice in New City, he continues to work as an Instructor in Clinical Dermatology at the Department of Dermatology, Columbia University – New York Presbyterian Hospital. He is a member of the Columbia Affiliated Physicians network.