Photodynamic Therapy Effective For Certain Head And Neck Cancers

Medical News Today
6th October 2009




A combination of medications and a particular light therapy is effective at treating certain types of head and neck cancers in subtropical climates. In a paper presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Diego, researchers from the University of Miami presented findings from a study on dysplasia and carcinomas of the head and neck. It analyzed the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT), a treatment that uses a drug, called a photosensitizer or photosensitizing agent, and a particular type of light in tropical climates. The study involved 24 males and 22 females, with an average age of 66 years. A total of 82 different lesions were treated, mostly in the oral cavity and vocal chords.