General Principles of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Gastrointestinal Applications

Title: General Principles of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Gastrointestinal Applications

Volume: 5 Issue: 4

Author(s): Marcus W. Wiedmann and Karel Caca

Affiliation:

Keywords: photodynamic therapy, photosensitizers, gastrointestinal diseases, oesophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer

Abstract: The purpose of this review article is to describe the history of photodynamic therapy (PDT), its current medical applications, the mechanism of action, contraindications of the method, and different types of photosensitizers used. The second part of the article deals with applications for gastrointestinal diseases. The treatment of obstructing oesophageal cancer, early-stage oesophageal cancer, Barretts esophagus, hilar cholangiocarcinoma, stomach-, colon- and pancreatic cancer are discussed. The final part focuses on future directions of PDT like certain innovative ideas, which are currently under investigation.

Cite this article as:

Wiedmann W. Marcus and Caca Karel, General Principles of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Gastrointestinal Applications, Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 2004; 5 (4) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389201043376805