Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Intravenous Laser Therapy

What is PDT?

• An exciting and revolutionary new treatment for cancers and many other diseases
• Involves the use of a special dye called a photosensitizer (or photosensitizing agent) and a special type of light
• When the photosensitizer is exposed to the right wavelength of light, it produces a form of oxygen that kills the nearby cancer cells
• At RAH we use three different dyes that are each activated by a specific wavelength of light, and perform different functions in the body
• All of this is done with very minimal (if any) side effects

What Does the Treatment Involve?

1. An intravenous (IV) catheter is placed, and the patient is placed on IV fluids
2. The photosensitizing (PS) dye is injected into the bloodstream via the IV catheter
3. The PS dye is given approximately 4 hours to be absorbed--the dye is absorbed by ALL of the cells in the body, but stays in cancer cells much longer than it does in normal, healthy cells...so we wait!
4. A special fiber-optic catheter (how cool is that??) is placed inside the IV catheter to administer the needed wavelength of light
5. The PS dye in the tumor is activated and produces a free-radical active form of oxygen that kills the nearby cancer cells
   1. it also damages the tumor's blood vessels, cutting off its supply of nutrients and stimulates the immune system to attack the cancer cells
6. The PS dye and fiber-optic catheter can be placed directly into a tumor to improve the chances of killing more cancer cells, especially with large tumors
7. The patient may or may not be lightly sedated for the procedure--it all depends on how well they tolerate being hospitalized and having an IV catheter

So, What's IV Laser Therapy?

• IV laser therapy is performed with the same IV fiber-optic catheter and the same wavelengths of light that are used for PDT, just without the PS dyes.
• We use IV laser therapy to treat a wide range of diseases with great success!
• IV laser therapy helps tissue repair itself, reduces inflammation and can help eliminate circulating bacteria

Pictures!

	PS dye being injected into the IV catheter
	PS dye being injected into the IV catheter
	A close-up of the fiber-optic catheter
	An example of the various wavelengths of light
	Another example of the fiber-optic cable in action!
	An example of insterstitial (intralesional) PDT
	Another example of interstitial PDT
	Interstitial and IV PDT being performed simultaneously
	A view of the  process