title: Ambulatory photodynamic therapy using low irradiance inorganic light-emitting diodes for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer: an open study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Conventional photodynamic therapy (PDT) can be inconvenient and uncomfortable. We studied low irradiance PDT using an ambulatory inorganic light-emitting diode.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three patients with 61 lesions [superficial basal cell carcinoma (n = 30), Bowen's disease (n = 30), and actinic keratosis (AK; n = 1)] were studied. Two treatments of ambulatory PDT were undertaken 1 week apart (one treatment for AK). Clinical response was determined at 3 months, and the treatment cycle was repeated if there was residual disease. The endpoints assessed were pain during treatment (numerical rating scale (NRS); 0-10) and outcome at 1 year. Twenty-three of these patients also received conventional PDT to separate lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median NRS pain scores during first and second treatment were 2 (range 0-9) and 4 (0-9), respectively. Lesion clearance rate at 1 year after ambulatory PDT was 84% (21/25 lesions in 22 patients). Of the twenty-three patients treated with both ambulatory and conventional PDT, the median NRS was 1 (0-7) and 5 (1.5-9), respectively, with most patients preferring ambulatory PDT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ambulatory PDT is effective for superficial non-melanoma skin cancer, with 1 year clearance rates comparative to conventional PDT. Low irradiance ambulatory PDT may be less painful and more convenient than conventional PDT.
authors.affiliation: Photobiology Unit, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK. s.h.ibbotson@dundee.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sally Helen
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ibbotson
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferguson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001913:Bowen's Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D055623:Keratosis, Actinic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*