Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)


This treat­ment is used most com­mon­ly to selec­tive­ly tar­get can­cer­ous and pre-can­cer­ous tis­sue of the skin. A solu­tion is first applied to the skin to make abnor­mal tis­sue more sen­si­tive to light. After this solu­tion is left on the skin for 1 – 2 hours, the treat­ed skin is exposed to a vis­i­ble light, such as blue or laser light. The light acti­vates the solu­tion and selec­tive­ly destroys the pre-can­cer­ous tis­sue. As the skin heals, new healthy skin appears. This treat­ment modal­i­ty has also been found to be effec­tive for treat­ing acne vul­garis in some patients.