Overview

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is a procedure to treat:

• sézary syndrome (a type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma)

• graft versus host disease (GvHD) (a complication from a bone marrow or stem cell transplant)

The treatment involves:

1. removing small amounts of blood
2. white blood cells are separated from the rest of the blood by a process known as centrifugation
3. a drug, called psoralen, is added to the white blood cells. This makes them more sensitive to ultraviolet light which is used to treat them.
4. the treated cells are put back into your body together with the rest of the blood. The treated cells help to change the immune response to the disease we are treating

Our ECP unit is the largest in Europe. We have 6 chairs and provide up to 24 treatments every day.

Our consultants

Fiona Child

Bjorn Thomas

Mary Wain

Sean Whittaker

Research and clinical trials

Research is vital to improving the care that you receive. You can help improve healthcare by taking part in research studies at our Trust. During your appointment, ask your healthcare professional about research. They'll be happy to tell you about research studies you could be eligible to join.

You can email [email protected] for more information.