How Mainstream Medicine Sees Photodynamic Therapy in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used successfully to treat an assortment of different types of cancer, it has yet to reach the level of mainstream medicine on either side of the Atlantic. Unsubstantiated claims of PDT's efficacy in the past may be part of the reason for this. However, perhaps the main obstacle to PDT's endorsement by conventional medicine is the limited number of high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing it with relevant comparators for all meaningful outcomes, including effectiveness, safety, adverse events, quality of life, survival, and cost. Based on a Health Technology Assessment report on the current status of PDT and consultation with professional groups, specialist societies, and clinical study groups in the United Kingdom, this article explores the current clinical guidelines for use of PDT in cancer treatment and the dearth of supportive data from RCTs. (

Upregulation of mucin glycoprotein MUC1 in the progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma and therapeutic potential with a targeted photoactive antibody-drug conjugate

“…PDT is already an established treatment modality for dysplastic Barrett’s epithelium [23]. It has also shown utility in the treatment of cancers of the prostate, lung, pancreas, bile duct, oral cavity and skin [24, 25]. PDT involves the administration of a photosensitizer (PS) and its activation locally using light to cause cellular destruction via intracellular free radicals and/or reactive oxygen species [26–29].…”

Targeting tumour energy metabolism potentiates the cytotoxicity of 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy

“…Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an evolving but underused treatment for cancers of the head, neck, lung, pancreas, intra-peritoneal cavity, breast, prostate, and skin (Bown, 2012; Milla Sanabria et al , 2012). Photodynamic therapy involves the photoactivation of a topically or systemically applied photosensitiser in the presence of oxygen, resulting in the formation of ROS, especially singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radicals, and peroxides (Milla Sanabria et al , 2012).…”

Potential Applications of Cucurbit[n]urils Inclusion Complexes in Photodynamic Therapy

“…[1] The combined effect of visible light and photosensitizers to kill cells was described more than a century ago, [1] and slowly found its way into modern medicine, although not yet a mainstream treatment. [4] [3] The main advantage of PDT over other kinds of therapies is undoubtedly the fact that PDT does not induce resistance like many drugs, and also a single-shot treatment can be administered compared to radiotherapy or chemotherapy.…”

“…The main problem adopting PDT as a standard medical treatment has to do with the need to develop specialized centers that can carry out high quality randomized trials. [4]…”