Uses
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a fairly new cancer treatment. It combines a photosensitizing chemical with a laser light. The laser light sources usually cannot pass through more than a few millimetres of tissue, so PDT is mainly used to treat areas on or just under the skin (superficial), or in the lining of some internal organs.
Sometimes cancer causes blockages (obstructions) in the esophagus or lungs. PDT may be used to control these problems and relieve their symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing or breathing.
PDT is currently used to treat some types and stages of:
- esophageal cancer
- to shrink or destroy advanced tumours in the esophagus that are causing a blockage (obstruction)
- recently approved for use in high-grade Barrett's Esophagus for people who are not candidates for surgery (esophagectomy)
- Barrett’s esophagus is a precancerous condition that occurs in the lining of the esophagus because of long standing acid reflux or heartburn
- lung cancer
- to treat very early stage, superficial tumours occurring in the lining of the bronchi with minimal spread of cancer cells – endobronchial non-small cell lung cancer (carcinoma in situ or microinvasive tumours)
- to relieve symptoms caused by a blockage (obstruction) because of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
- bladder cancer
- sometimes used to treat a type of superficial, transitional cell bladder cancer called papillary bladder cancer, when it does not respond (become refractory) to standard treatment
A special type of PDT is sometimes used to treat a precancerous skin condition called actinic keratosis.