Traditional therapies for lung cancer treatment have included staples like surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These lung cancer treatment options have been tried and tested in scores of patients for many years. But these types of treatment options may not be right for all lung cancer sufferers. Some patients cannot tolerate the side effects of these treatments, or may not be well enough to undergo surgery. Luckily, new lung cancer treatments are still being developed for targeting this devastating disease. Among the newest treatment options is photodynamic therapy.
This experimental new treatment differs from chemotherapy, which uses drugs to kill cancerous cells, and radiotherapy, which uses high-dose radiation to destroy cancer. Instead, photodynamic therapy employs light to kill off cancer cells. First, a drug is injected into the blood or put on the skin. This drug can be absorbed by cancer cells once it is inside the body. Next, light is employed. This may take place within a few hours of the drug being given to the patient, or it may take place after several days. Certain kinds of light cause a reaction from the drug. The drug reacts with oxygen, producing a chemical that can kill nearby cancer cells. Continue reading ‘Photodynamic Therapy For Lung Cancer’ »