Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a
treatment that uses a type of light-sensitive drug and the application of light to kill
cancer cells. The drug is known as a photosensitizer, and when it is
exposed to a specific wavelength of light, it produces a form of oxygen that kills nearby cells. PDT is usually restricted to tumors that are on the skin or in areas that are accessible with more than one-third inch below the surface, such as the linings of the body's organs. PDT can be delivered in to operating room to allow access to deep structures (1).
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In the first step of PDT, a photosensitizing agent is injected into the bloodstream. The agent is absorbed by cells throughout the body, but stays in cancer cells longer than it does in normal cells. About 24 to 72 hours after injection, most of the agent has left the normal cells but remains in cancer cells. At this point, the tumor is exposed to light. The light may come from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) applied to the skin's surface in the case of skin cancer, or from a laser that is directed down a flexible tube (endoscope) inserted into the patient's body, as in the case for
lung cancer. The photosensitizer in the tumor absorbs the light and produces a form of oxygen that destroys the nearby cancer cells. Damage to healthy tissue is minimal (1).
PDT is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. It may involve multiple treatments, and may (if no surgery is required to gain access to the treatment area) be used with other therapies, such as surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy (1). The FDA has approved its use for certain types of lung cancer and cancer of the esophagus, and PDT is currently in the experimental stages as a possible treatment for mesothelioma (2).