PDT – Oral Cancer News

Photodynamic therapy targets oral dysplasia, oral bacteria

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: Kathy Kincade, Editor in Chief Imagine being able to treat a suspicious lesion on a patient's tongue simply by applying a topical agent, waiting a few minutes, then exposing it to light from a handheld laser or light-emitting diode (LED) device. Imagine being able to treat bacterial and fungal infections in the oral cavity, even periodontal disease, using this same approach. That is the promise of photodynamic therapy (PDT), a minimally invasive technique that first came into medicine in the early 1900s and has been used to treat a plethora of medical conditions, including skin diseases, localized infections, age-related macular degeneration, and premalignant and malignant disorders. "PDT in the oral cavity would utilize a photosensitizing compound and a light source to activate the compound," explained Thomas Mang, PhD, research director in the Laser and Lightwave Research Center at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. "Traditionally, it has been used in head and neck lesions and oral lesions with a photosensitizer given intravenously. But in applications related to early oral lesions and those involving candida and oral species that may be involved with periodontal disease, we look to apply it topically." Distinct advantages Mang has been investigating PDT disinfection of oral biofilm and previously was involved with the development of PDT for treating cutaneous and other cancers while at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He sees a bright future for PDT in dentistry, providing more selectivity and flexibility when treating patients with early oral lesions and microbial [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2012-10-04T13:43:26-07:00October, 2012|Oral Cancer News|

Photodynamic therapy shows promise in head/neck cancer

Source: www.drbicuspid.com Author: staff Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been shown to be effective as a curative therapy for early cancers of the head and neck, according to research presented at the recent International Photodynamic Association World Congress in Innsbruck, Austria. Researchers from Ondine Biomedical presented two studies at the conference. In the first, 469 patients with various neoplastic diseases of the head and neck were treated with PDT with follow-up time of up to 250 months. Patients with primary or recurrent carcinoma in situ and T1 carcinomas responded after one PDT treatment, and 88% remained free of the disease, according to the researchers. The second study focused on the use of PDT to down regulate MMP-9 gene expression in cell cultures of precancerous leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma. MMP-9 is expressed by squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck, and is one of the factors responsible for the ability of these cancers to invade into tissue and also to spread to other tissues. After one treatment of methylene blue PDT, gene expression of MMP-9 was significantly decreased in both the precancerous leukoplakia cells and the oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. This work demonstrated that methylene blue mediated PDT can downregulate proteins that promote the spreading of head and neck carcinoma, therefore potentially reducing the ability of these cancers to invade tissue and spread, the researchers noted. "These abstracts clearly confirm a role of PDT in the treatment of head and neck cancer," stated Carolyn Cross, chairman and CEO [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2011-06-14T10:06:50-07:00June, 2011|Oral Cancer News|

Photodynamic therapy linked to oral cancer benefit

Source: www.modernmedicine.com Author: staff Photodynamic therapy (PDT) appears useful in treating early-stage cancer of the mouth or oropharynx, either as a primary treatment or as an addition to unsuccessful surgery or radiation, according to research published in the January issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. Vanessa Gayl Schweitzer, M.D., and Melissa L. Somers, M.D., of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, discuss the outcomes of 30 patients with squamous cell carcinoma, stage Tis-T2N0M0, in the mouth or oropharynx. Most had undergone prior surgery or radiation, in combination or alone. All received intravenous porfimer sodium followed by photoactivation. Over an average follow-up of two years, the researchers found that 80 percent had complete remission. Twenty percent of patients were partial responders and had recurrences at points ranging from three to 26 months. Five patients -- four of whom were among the complete responders -- developed new primary head and neck tumors. "PDT is a promising additional local surgical oncologic modality for primary treatment of selective superficial carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx with low risk for nodal metastases," the authors conclude. "The development of new and more tumor-specific photosensitizing agents with longer wave-length activation and deeper tissue penetration with shorter skin photosensitivity post-drug administration will expand the application of PDT for the treatment of superficial head and neck cancers."

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-01-29T19:54:30-07:00January, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

British celebs back drive for new cancer treatment

Source: news.sky.com/skynews Author: staff Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir David Frost are among a host of celebrities giving their support to a cancer charity campaigning for a new type of treatment to be made available nationwide. The personalities are urging people to donate to medical trials of Photodynamic Therapy which, they say, could revolutionise cancer treatment in the UK and around the world. Killing Cancer (http://www.killingcancer.co.uk/) is aiming to raise £50m to fund further trials into Photo Dynamic Therapy, a treatment that tackles some forms of cancer by killing cells through a combination of drugs and light. The treatment is a form of laser that starves the cancer of oxygen, allowing the body to heal and create new, healthy cells. Its supporters say a single 20-minute session avoids the need for invasive surgery and the traumatic effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is also, they argue, cost-effective - for example, a skin cancer treatment would amount to just £235, far less than other more traditional treatments. Other well-known names supporting the charity include Chris Tarrant, Robert Plant, Jenny Seagrove and Roger Daltrey. They are sending more than 200 million personal emails to fans and supporters, asking for funds to be allocated to their choice of one of half a dozen PDT trials. "Both my mother and father died of cancer," said Manchester United manager Sir Alex. "I think PDT is an amazing first-step option before resorting to surgery. "More patients should have access to it in our hospitals [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-10-07T14:52:47-07:00October, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Jean faced death without surgery that would scar her forever – but a beam of light saved the day

Source: Author: Three weeks ago Jean Pringle drove 400 miles to her son Sean's wedding. What makes her journey remarkable is that just six weeks earlier she had received devastating news: the cancer in her tongue and neck had returned and the only option was a drastic operation. 'I was told I would probably lose my tongue and voice box, and I would also would need an operation on the right side of my neck,' says 64-year-old grandmother Jean. But the former supervisor in ladies' fashion for Marks & Spencer refused. 'I wanted my children and grandchildren to remember me as someone they did lovely fun things with, not as someone dribbling in a corner, who could only grunt.' Her doctors suggested she needed to sort out her will, as it was possible that she wouldn't live until her son's wedding in August. But not only did Jean make it to the wedding in Kent but, at the end of the evening, she was well enough to dance with her grandchildren. 'I felt great and I had a fantastic day,' she says. 'I'm not disfigured and both my tongue and voice box are working fine. In October, my husband and I are going on holiday to Capri and Sorrento in Italy - I never imagined I'd be making plans for the future.' Jean had a cancer treatment that has almost none of the distressing side-effects of conventional options. It is also far cheaper and has been approved by NICE (National [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-09-12T12:52:27-07:00September, 2008|Oral Cancer News|