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Treatment

Photodynamic Therapy

Oncologic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy is a treatment that combines a light-activated chemical called a photosensitizer with a specific wavelength of light and the oxygen already present in tissue to trigger a reaction that kills the targeted cells. It is used to treat some skin conditions, including acne and psoriasis, the eye disease wet age-related macular degeneration, and a range of malignant cancers such as those of the head and neck, lung, bladder and skin. Because it avoids the delicate surgery and long recuperation that removing affected tissue would otherwise require and leaves comparatively little scarring, photodynamic therapy is valued as a less invasive option, though the photosensitizing chemical it depends on can leave skin temporarily sensitive to light after treatment.

Facts
Classification
Status
Standard of Care 1
Origin Year
1975 2
Connections

Treats

Esophageal Cancer, Conditions
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Photodynamic Therapy (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • History section, Dougherty era
    Dougherty successfully treated cancer with PDT in preclinical models in 1975.
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photodynamic_therapy, lead section
    Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a form of phototherapy involving light and a photosensitizing chemical substance used in conjunction with molecular oxygen to elicit cell death (phototoxicity).
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Frequently Asked Questions

Does photodynamic therapy have side effects?

Yes, skin can be temporarily sensitive to light after treatment.

It is valued as a less invasive option that avoids delicate surgery and long recuperation and leaves comparatively little scarring. However, the photosensitizing chemical it depends on can leave skin temporarily sensitive to light after treatment.
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