What is Photodynamic Therapy and What Conditions Does it Treat?
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a special light treatment that affects cells that are directly exposed. Photodynamic therapy has been approved by the FDA to treat certain dermatology and oncology conditions and has been also used experimentally to treat other diseases.
PDT involves a three-step process. First a photosensitizing drug is applied to the skin or given intravenously.
Next, time is allowed to pass so the drug can incubate, which helps allow the cells to become more receptive to the light. Finally, the cells are exposed to a laser light source, selected specifically for the type of condition the person has. This exposure activates the release of oxygen, which can destroy nearby cells.
When used as a cancer treatment, PDT not only kills cancer cells it “appears to shrink or destroy tumors in two other ways. The photosensitizer can damage blood vessels in the tumor, thereby preventing the cancer from receiving necessary nutrients. PDT also activates the immune system to attack the tumor cells.”(3)
In dermatology, PDT is used to treat actinic keratosis (AK), which is a pre-cancerous skin condition caused by sun damage and mycosis fungoides, a skin lymphoma.
The photosensitizing drugs used are Levulan or ALA, which is aminolevulinic acid, or MAL which is methyl aminolevulinate, which are applied directly to the skin areas to be treated. Blue laser light is the light source used to activate ALA and red laser light can be used for MAL treatments.
Off-label skin treatments using PDT “include the treatment of BCC (basal cell carcinoma), photoaging, acne vulgaris, and Bowen disease”, according to Medscape.
Using PDT for treatment of internal cancer can be more challenging. To reach some parts of the body, fiber optics must be used to expose cells to the laser light. For instance treatment of Barrett’s esophagus, which is a condition that may lead to esophageal cancer and endobronchial cancer, a type of non-small cell lung cancer, must both be treated using fiber optics passed through an endoscope to reach the cancer cells.
Porfimer sodium (Photofrin) is the photosensitizer used and is given intravenously.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a CommentComments
There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!