Photodynamic Therapy
If you have been diagnosed with a skin cancer, another type of cancer, age-related macular degeneration, psoriasis, or acne, your doctors may recommend a treatment called photodynamic therapy PDT to you. Keep reading to learn more about this treatment, including how it works, whether it is painful, and how much it costs.
What is photodynamic therapy PDT?
Photodynamic therapy PDT is a two-stage treatment in which a medicine called a photosensitizer is used along with laser light energy to destroy diseased cells such as cancer cells and pre-cancerous cells. Photosensitizers like aminolevulinic acid or porfimer sodium are drugs that are non-toxic when inactive but are sensitive to light. When such a medicine undergoes activation by a specific wavelength of light (blue light or red light) in the presence of an oxygen molecule, it becomes toxic to human tissue. Photodynamic therapy uses this property of a medicine that is sensitive to light. In other words, this is how photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment is used to destroy cancer cells. PDT can be done all skin types.
What is photodynamic therapy used to treat?
PDT is a treatment with a variety of uses. Different photosensitizing agents can be used to treat different diseases. Some of the medical conditions that can benefit from photodynamic therapy include:
- Skin cancer and skin lesions such as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis.
- Cancer treatments for malignancies of the brain, head and neck, lung, mouth, esophagus (food pipe), pancreas, bile duct, and bladder.
- Age-related macular degeneration.
- Psoriasis, acne, warts, and other skin changes.
- Bacterial, fungal, and viral skin infections (the light therapy triggers the body's immune system).
- Urinary tract infections.
- Sinusitis.
- Periodontal disease of the gums.
- Gastritis (stomach inflammation).
- Corneal infections (the cornea is the clear layer in the front of the eye).
- Destruction of blood vessels in patients with port wine stains, atherosclerosis, thrombosis (clot formation), or blood diseases.
What to expect during PDT?
Step 1: Photosensitizer Drugs
The first step in photodynamic therapy is to introduce the photosensitizing agent into the body. Photosensitizing agents can be in the form of an injection, a cream, or even a drink, depending on the part of the body being treated. This is usually an outpatient procedure. Following this appointment, patients are usually asked to return home and wait for a few hours to days - this is known as the drug to light interval and is different for each photosensitizer. It gives time for the photosensitizing drug to build up in the abnormal cells.
Step 2: Light Source Treatment
Later, patients are asked to return to the hospital for treatment with blue light or red light. This is done by focusing the laser light source onto the target area for 15 to 45 minutes. If the cancer cells are present in a part of the body such as the lungs, an instrument called an endoscope may be used to deliver the light therapy to the tumor cells. Your doctor may use a local anesthetic to numb the target area for patient comfort during the PDT treatment.
Step 3: Aftercare and recovery
Aftercare depends on the part of the body that was treated with PDT. For example, if you had photodynamic therapy for cancer of the skin, your doctor may leave a dressing in place for a few days to protect the treatment area. You may also be asked to avoid sun exposure while the skin heals. It can take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks for an area that received PDT to heal. You will be advised about how to care for the treated area depending on what part of the body is affected.
What are the side effects of photodynamic therapy?
In general, PDT is a safe and effective procedure when done for an approved disease by a qualified doctor. It can be used to treat large areas of the body with a single non-invasive procedure.
The most common side effects of photodynamic therapy PDT include pain or a burning, prickling, or stinging reaction in the treatment area upon exposure to the light source.
When the photosensitizers are injected, there can be side effects such as the skin and eyes being sensitive to light for up to 6 weeks. Your doctors will advise you about protecting your skin and eyes during this time.
If the skin is treated with photodynamic therapy, it can become red and swollen and may blister and scab over a few weeks. There can also be temporary or permanent pigmentation changes and hair loss in the treated area.
When the eyes are treated with PDT, there is a small risk of vision problems, including permanent vision loss.
Is photodynamic therapy for skin cancer painful?
Photodynamic therapy PDT for skin cancer can be painful. Many patients find treatments on the face and scalp for skin cancers like actinic keratoses to be particularly painful. Doctors can do several things to reduce patient discomfort during PDT to destroy cancer cells. However, some patients do find the patient intolerable to the point that they terminate the procedure before the treatment is completed. The amount of pain a patient experiences during PDT also depends on the location and size of the treatment area as well as the type of photosensitizer used.
How much does photodynamic therapy cost?
The cost of photodynamic therapy PDT depends on various factors, including the size of the treatment area and how many treatments are needed to kill the cancer cells, for example. A single treatment can cost anywhere from $100 to $5,000.
Finding a provider for PDT
If you have a medical condition that can potentially benefit from photodynamic therapy, it's important to see a specialist who offers this type of treatment. The MeTime app makes it easy to find experienced providers who offer PDT in your area. You can click and upload pictures, chat with experts, and have suggestions sent directly to you. The app connects you licensed and certified physicians with extensive experience in this branch of medicine. Interested in learning more about photodynamic therapy? Try the MeTime app today!