Photo-dyn. therapy & diagnosis

Photodynamic therapy  (PDT) is an option for therapy of various superficial skin cancers and their precursors: basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratoses.

Also, PDT can be used in aesthetic medicine, in UV damaged skin and inflammatory forms of acne.  

Moreover, PDT can be used to confirm a diagnosis made by eye. Using PDT, a biopsy can often be avoided.
PDT needs a substance to penetrate into the cancerous cells, enhance their sensibility to light and be specifically destroyed by light.
The substance that increases the light sensibility of cells is called δ-aminolevulinic acid. It is also present in our body to build up haemoglobin. Cancerous cells transform it into protoporphyrin ix, which is also an intermediate of haemoglobin and is very light-sensitive.
Protoporphyrin IX has two properties:

• it fluoresces red when looked at in a blue light — which gives it its diagnostic value
• upon exposure to blue, red or yellow light it generates so-called triplet oxygen, which is toxic for the cells. They are quickly replaced by normal cells during the following week. This effect is the basis for the therapeutic action of PDT

The light that is used is simple visible light, emitted from diodes or a laser. It does not cause any harm to your skin.

PDT is a highly specific therapy. If correctly applied the cosmetic result is unsurpassed by other methods.

Basal-cell carcinoma on the trunk before photodynamic therapy, one week and 3 months later