PDT is an effective treatment for low-risk BCC, with excellent cosmesis and safety. Imiquimod has higher efficacy than single-cycle PDT but more adverse effects. Highest efficacy is with excisional surgery. Fractionated and combination PDT options warrant further study.
Topical PDT is usually well tolerated, reinforcing the utility of this important therapeutic option in dermatology practice. The main acute adverse effect of pain can typically be minimized through preventative approaches of modified PDT regimens. Other adverse effects are uncommon and generally do not limit treatment delivery.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established treatment option for low-risk basal cell carcinoma (BCC). BCC is the most common human cancer and also a convenient cancer in which to study PDT treatment. This review clarifies challenges to researchers evident from the clinical use of PDT in BCC treatment. It outlines the context of PDT and how PDT treatments for BCC have been developed hitherto. The sections examine the development of systemic and subsequently topical photosensitizers, light delivery regimens, and the use of PDT in different patient populations and subtypes of BCC. The outcomes of topical PDT are discussed in comparison with alternative treatments, and topical PDT applications in combination and adjuvant therapy are considered. The intention is to summarize the clinical relevance and expose areas of research need in the BCC context, ultimately to facilitate improvements in PDT treatment.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established treatment for superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Organ transplant recipients (OTRs) are at increased risk of BCC. We investigated the efficacy of PDT in OTRs and compared the recurrence rate to the non-transplanted population. We conducted a retrospective casenote review of all patients undergoing PDT for the treatment of BCC in our centre from 2003 to 2013. Three hundred and twenty-two BCCs from 103 patients underwent PDT during this period. There is no significant difference in BCC recurrence following PDT in OTRs (22.6 %) versus non-transplant patients (15.2 %) (p = 0.18). PDT is an efficacious treatment for BCC in OTRs with no significant evidence of inferiority compared to non-transplanted patients. Our findings require corroboration in a larger study.
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