Photodynamic Therapy

Basal and squamous cell skin cancers may be treated with photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy is treatment with drugs that become active when exposed to light. In photodynamic therapy, the cancerous area is covered with a drug-containing cream or injected with a drug. Cancer cells hold the drug longer than do normal cells. Several hours or days after the drug is given, the cancerous skin treated with the photosensitizer is then exposed to various light sources, which causes a destructive reaction similar to a bad sunburn. Because the drug is gone from normal cells by the time they are exposed to light, the reaction is confined to the cancer cells.

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As with topical therapies, photodynamic therapy causes relatively little scarring compared with surgery. However, your skin is extremely light sensitive, and vigorous sun avoidance is essential to prevent a blistering burn. Your skin remains light-sensitive for 24 to 48 hours and takes several days to a week to heal. Several sessions of photodynamic therapy may be needed to treat the skin cancer. The treatment also can be painful, and pain medications may be needed.

Some disadvantages may include red, raw, and inflamed skin for the duration of treatment. If you do not follow the wound care prescribed, then your skin may develop itching, burning, and pain, and may become susceptible to infection. This treatment is usually avoided in the hot summer months because of potential discomfort from heat and humidity and light sensitivity.