title: Application of photodynamic therapy in gastrointestinal disorders: an outdated or re-emerging technique?
abstract: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising therapeutic modality that involves the administration of a photosensitizer followed by local illumination with a specific wavelength of light in the presence of oxygen. PDT is minimally invasive, has high selectivity for cancer, and has good patient compliance due to the simplicity of the procedure; therefore, PDT is widely used as a palliative and salvage treatment in patients with various gastrointestinal malignancies. When used as a salvage treatment for locoregional failures after definitive chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer, favorable results have been reported. PDT in conjunction with biliary stenting is a promising palliative treatment for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma, and can be used as an advanced diagnostic and therapeutic strategy in peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer. Recent clinical reports of PDT for treating non-resectable pancreatic cancer also show promising results. To widen the application of PDT, the integration of PDT with molecular imaging and nanotechnology is being extensively studied. Based on these new developments, PDT is likely to re-emerge as a valuable technique in the treatment of diverse gastrointestinal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Han Hee
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung-Gyu
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Tayyaba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasan
mesh_terms: D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents
keywords: Gastrointestinal diseases; Gastrointestinal neoplasms; Palliative care; Photochemotherapy; Photosensitizing agents