Guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Interstitial photodynamic therapy for malignant parotid tumours in May 2008. In accordance with the Interventional Procedures Programme Process Guide, guidance on procedures with special arrangements are reviewed 3 years after publication and the procedure is reassessed if important new evidence is available.
The guidance was considered for reassessment in May 2010 and it was concluded that NICE will not be updating this guidance at this stage. However, if you believe there is new evidence which should warrant a review of our guidance, please contact us via the email address below.
Description
The parotid glands are located in front of the ears and help to produce saliva. A tumour in a parotid gland usually causes a painless swelling on the side of the face where the affected gland is. Only a small number of these tumours are cancerous. In photodynamic therapy (usually abbreviated to PDT), a drug called a 'photosensitising agent' is injected into a vein. A few days later, needles are inserted into the tumour and a special light is shone through them. The light causes the photosensitising agent to destroy the tumour cells.
Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance