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News PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY AND HEAD AND NECK CANCER Two research papers presented in Berlin, Germany, in May 2000 have both concluded that photodynamic therapy is an effective and well‐tolerated treatment modality in head and neck cancer. Photodynamic therapy is a technique that uses non‐thermal lasers to activate light‐sensitive drugs (photosensitisers) to treat cancer and other diseases in a non‐surgical minimally invasive way. The first study, which examined the complete response rate to FOSCAN PDT (produced by Scotia Pharmaceuticals) in 108 patients with primary head and neck cancers interim data, suggests that 89% of patients in the trial achieved over‐all response–i.e. partial or complete elimination of tumour. This study was conducted in 15 centres in six countries. The second country examined the response rate to FOSCAN PDT in 80 patients with recurrent or second primary oral cancer. This study was conducted in 17 centres in the USA, Europe and India. Interim analysis of the results in this study suggested that 67% of patients achieved an overall response. Both the above response rates are comparable to those for surgery or radiotherapy which are at present the standard treatments for head and neck cancers. The advantage of photodynamic therapy is that it http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png European Journal of Cancer Care Wiley

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Blackwell Science Ltd
ISSN
0961-5423
eISSN
1365-2354
DOI
10.1046/j.1365-2354.2000.00223.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY AND HEAD AND NECK CANCER Two research papers presented in Berlin, Germany, in May 2000 have both concluded that photodynamic therapy is an effective and well‐tolerated treatment modality in head and neck cancer. Photodynamic therapy is a technique that uses non‐thermal lasers to activate light‐sensitive drugs (photosensitisers) to treat cancer and other diseases in a non‐surgical minimally invasive way. The first study, which examined the complete response rate to FOSCAN PDT (produced by Scotia Pharmaceuticals) in 108 patients with primary head and neck cancers interim data, suggests that 89% of patients in the trial achieved over‐all response–i.e. partial or complete elimination of tumour. This study was conducted in 15 centres in six countries. The second country examined the response rate to FOSCAN PDT in 80 patients with recurrent or second primary oral cancer. This study was conducted in 17 centres in the USA, Europe and India. Interim analysis of the results in this study suggested that 67% of patients achieved an overall response. Both the above response rates are comparable to those for surgery or radiotherapy which are at present the standard treatments for head and neck cancers. The advantage of photodynamic therapy is that it

Journal

European Journal of Cancer CareWiley

Published: Dec 1, 2000

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