Guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on interstitial laser therapy for breast cancer.The guidance was considered for reassessment in January 2011 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
Standard treatments for small breast cancers include lumpectomy or mastectomy (without preceding laser therapy), and minimally invasive techniques such as radiofrequency ablation or cryotherapy.
Interstitial laser therapy is a minimally invasive technique for treating small breast cancers. After locating the tumour using stereotactic techniques or ultrasound, laser energy is delivered into the tumour via a needle probe. This causes the tumour to shrink. A surgeon may then remove the tumour, although sometimes surgery is not necessary.
Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance.