[Photodynamic Therapy]

Photodynamic therapy( PDT) is a method consider "medical treatment" in which a drug( i.e., photosensitizer) is incorporated into a tumor and a laser beam of a wavelength corresponding thereto generates a reaction consider "elicits a phototoxic reaction that kills the tumor cells". It is a less invasive treatment that has a tumor-selective cell killing effect and has been established as a standard therapy for centrally located early stage lung cancer. Most patients with centrally located early stage lung cancer are heavy smokers, and cardiopulmonary function is often deteriorated owing to pulmonary emphysema or heart disease. Centrally located early stage lung cancer is known to occur frequently as synchronous or metachronous neoplasm. Taking the patient's background into consideration, PDT that does not affect the pulmonary function may be considered as a promising treatment. Herein, we outline the current applications of PDT and its future prospects.