Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 19, 2025
Quantitative Visualization and Detection of Skin Cancer Using Dynamic Thermal Imaging
Published on: May 5, 2011
Monitoring PDT effects in basal cell carcinoma treatment using thermal imaging
Łukasz Kapek1, Armand Cholewka2, Agnieszka Szurko2
1Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Silesia, Katowice, Bankowa Street, 40-007 Katowice, Poland; Department of Medical Physics, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Wybrzeże Armii Krajowej 15, Gliwice, Poland.
Background:
One of the most frequent type of malignant skin lesion (almost 95 percent of all skin tumours) is basal cell carcinoma (BCC). It is often treated by radiotherapy using ionizing radiation as well by photodynamic therapy (PDT) which is a selective method directed only on cancer cells and well tolerated by patients.
Materials And Methods:
Eight male patients of the Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases, Angiology and Physical Medicine in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia, in Katowice, Poland suffering from basal cell carcinoma were monitored by thermovision during the photodynamic therapy. All lesions were diagnosed as superficial were confirmed by histopathological examination.
Results:
The dynamics of changes observed in the isotherm area during the therapy can provide physicians with additional information. The significant increase of observed isotherm area in comparison to the lesion area diagnosed by a physician was confirmed, which may be connected with the increased metabolism processes occurring in the tissue surrounded the lesion.
Conclusion:
The obtained results based on the temperature gradient changes in the lesion vicinity area may bring some new information describing the range of biochemical and physiological processes occurring during photodynamic therapy.
