Photodynamic Treatments for Disseminated Cancer Metastases Using Fiber-Optic Technologies

Tumor-targeted and -activatable photosensitizer delivery platforms are creating new opportunities to develop photodynamic therapy (PDT) of metastatic disease. This is possible by confining the activity of the photosensitizing chemical (i.e., the PDT agent) to the tumor in combination with diffuse near-infrared light irradiation for wide-field treatment. This chapter outlines protocols and research tools for preclinical development of light-activated therapies of cancer metastases using advanced-stage ovarian cancer as a model system. We also describe an in vivo molecular imaging approach that uniquely enables tracking intraperitoneal micrometastatic burden and responses to treatment using fluorescence microendoscopy.