Thousands of patients affected by skin cancer are in for some relief, as by means of a latest technique they can now get their treatment done at home itself. And all they would have to spend is a mere 100 pounds.

According to a report published in the Daily Mail, the high tech technique makes use of a light emitting sticking plaster, Ambulight. The device contains Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), which combines with a light sensitive drug to destroy cancer cells.

And the best part of the technique is that the plaster leaves no scar. Moreover, the whole treatment process is less painful than surgery. The time that the patients are required to spend in hospital, too, is reduced substantially.

During the technique, photosensitising cream is first applied on to the skin. Subsequently, the Ambulight is attached to the cream-applied surface with a plaster. The cream takes about 180 minutes to penetrate the skin, and then the pod turns on. Exactly three hours later, the light switches off and the device can be disposed of. Patients can move freely during treatment.

Optimistic that the treatment would soon be available at GP surgeries, Ambulight developer James Ferguson, who is the Professor of dermatology at Dundee University, says, "Trials have shown it to be up to 90% as effective as hospital treatment and it's a lot gentler".