title: Advances in photodynamic therapy for the treatment of head and neck cancers.
abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an FDA-approved minimally invasive medical treatment modality that utilizes light in the presence of oxygen to activate photosensitizing agents that are relatively selectively concentrated in abnormal or neoplastic cells resulting in cell death. At the present time, PDT has been approved for clinical treatment in the United States, European Union, Canada, Russia, and Japan. In the United States, US Food and Drug administration approval has been given for the use of PDT in the treatment of Barrett's esophagus, obstructing esophageal carcinoma and early and obstructing tracheobronchial carcinoma using the photosensitizer Photofrin; actinic keratosis using the photosensitizer Levulan (aminolevulinic acid); and macular degeneration using the photosensitizer BPD. In the EU the above noted indications have also been approved in addition to the treatment of early head and neck cancers and palliative treatment of head and neck cancer using the photosensitizer Foscan; and treatment of basal and squamous cell skin cancers using the photosensitizer Metvix.
authors.affiliation: Ear Nose and Throat Specialty Care of Minnesota, 2211 Park Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404, USA. Bielx001@umn.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017323:Dihematoporphyrin Ether / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D010212:Papilloma / Q000628:therapy; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D017323:Dihematoporphyrin Ether