While cancer is seen as a life-threatening disease, there has been a rise in the number of new therapies in the past few years. In this episode, we focus on the usage of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT).
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Light-activated drugs are used to treat cancer in PDT. While the therapy cannot be used to treat every type of cancer, it has been proven to be very effective in some specific types of cancer.
What is PDT?
PDT, or Photodynamic Therapy, uses light-activated drugs to kill cancerous cells. The light helps the drug to react in a way that releases a specific kind of oxygen molecule that kills cancerous cells. PDT also destroys blood vessels that feed cancer-growing cells and assists the immune system in identifying cancer cells.
An article published on the American Cancer Society mentions the following:
“The light used in PDT comes from certain kinds of lasers or from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The kind of light used depends on the type of cancer and where it is located in the body. PDT is usually done as an outpatient procedure (meaning you won’t have to stay in the hospital) but is sometimes combined with surgery, chemotherapy or other anti-cancer drugs, or radiation therapy.”
PDT is generally used in two or more sessions. In the first session, light-activated drugs are applied to the skin. The cancer is exposed to a special kind of light in the second session. The intervening period between the two sessions is generally referred to as a drug-to-light interval.
PDT can be used to treat different types of cancers, some of which are as follows:
- Lung Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Skin Cancer
Researchers and scientists are always looking for newer types of PDT drugs that can be combined with other treatments, such as radiation therapy.
The American Cancer Society article mentions the following::
“Researchers are always looking for new PDT drugs, and new ways to give them. PDT is also being combined with other types of treatment, such surgery and radiation therapy. Future possibilities include other combination treatments with PDT drugs, as well as new PDT drugs that can target tumor cells better, can leave normal cells more quickly, and allow the treatment light to penetrate deeper.”
In the next episode, we explore the benefits of using PDT.
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