Photodynamic Therapy, according to Cancer.org is:
A treatment that uses special drugs, called photosensitizing agents, along with light to kill cancer cells. The drugs only work after they have been activated or “turned on” by certain kinds of light. PDT may also be called photoradiation therapy, phototherapy, or photochemotherapy.
Depending on the part of the body being treated, the photosensitizing agent is either put into the bloodstream through a vein or put on the skin. Over a certain amount of time the drug is absorbed by the cancer cells. Then light is applied to the area to be treated. The light causes the drug to react with oxygen, which forms a chemical that kills the cancer cells. PDT may also work by destroying the blood vessels that feed the cancer cells and by alerting the immune system to attack the cancer.
Our patient, Diane came to our office for a couple of months for Photodynamic therapy or PDT. She shares her experience with the skin cancer treatment in this video. Previously we posted other videos explaining Photodynamic Therapy’s two part process.
- An actual demonstration of the pre-treatment with Levulon on another patient: PDT Pre-treatment
- Sarah, our physician assistant explains the pre-treatment: Pre-treatment explanation
- Live Demonstration of a patient undergoing the Blue Light Therapy or Photodynamic Therapy : Live Demonstration of Blue Light
All in all, the patient says that the treatment is tolerable and at times where it may have stung a bit, the fan that we provided helped her skin to cool off.
