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Photodynamic Therapy

Aside from the most traditional treatments for pleural mesothelioma, which include chemotherapy and radiation, it is sometimes suggested that those stricken with this aggressive form of cancer try some other, less-frequently used therapies, some of which have been around for quite some time and others that are fairly new to the cancer treatment scene. Photodynamic therapy, for example, was first used to treat cancer more than a century ago, note the experts at the American Cancer Society, and studies have demonstrated that – in some cancers – it can work as well as traditional radiation therapy.

What is Photodynamic Therapy?

Also known as photoradiation therapy or simply phototherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses light in tandem with a drug known as a photosensitizing agent to kill cancer cells. Here, the light is the key. This class of drugs does not work until they have been “switched on” by certain kinds of light.

Because of the way this therapy works, it is generally used to treat cancers that are on or just under the skin or that involve the linings of internal organs, as is the case with pleural mesothelioma. It is not suitable, however, for treating metastatic cancer as the treatment only occurs in the area exposed to the light even though the drugs, depending on how they are administered, may travel through the bloodstream.

Photodynamic therapy, like all cancer treatments, carries both pros and cons. On the plus side, it is much less invasive than surgery and it can be precisely targeted to the area that is affected by the cancer. Furthermore, it can be used again and again at the site of the tumor and does not burn the skin or cause any other side effects common with traditional radiation. However, the drugs used for this therapy do leave the patient very sensitive to light so proper precautions should be taken while the treatment is ongoing.

What Pleural Mesothelioma Patients Can Expect

If you are a candidate for PDT, you will most likely receive treatment in a hospital setting or at a specialized treatment center. Patients with pleural mesothelioma that has not spread are most often treated with the photosensitizing drug known as Porfimer Sodium, though there are a few other such drugs on the market as well. Some of the drugs are applied directly to the skin, especially when used to treat skin cancers, but Porfimer Sodium is injected by means of an IV.

First, an appointment will be scheduled for the administration of the drug. It will be injected and the patient will then be instructed to go home. This is so that healthy cells will have time to rid themselves of the drug. The Porfimer Sodium, however, will remain in the cancer cells and be present when the patient returns 2 to 3 days later. Upon return, the doctor will project a thin laser light at the affected area. For pleural mesothelioma patients, this is done by means of a bronchoscope/endoscope that can reach the chest area. Depending on the size of the tumor, the treatment lasts anywhere from five to 45 minutes and causes no pain. Afterwards, the patient is sent home and then returns a few days later so that any dead tissue can be removed via endoscopy.

After treatment, patients must avoid direct sunlight and bright lights. That means curtains should be drawn and in-house lighting should be dimmed. Patients should have sunglasses with them to wear when leaving the office and should also wear clothing that covers as much of their body as possible, including the head. For at least 30 days, outdoor activity during the daytime hours should be severely limited, even on cloudy days.

Other less common side effects of photodynamic therapy include swelling, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, fever, pneumonia and bronchitis.

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