RENO, Nev., April 12 -- Research at the University at Buffalo has raised hopes that photodynamic therapy (PDT) may have much wider application than had been believed previously. Researcher Thomas S. Mang, a clinical associate professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, reported that he has successfully treated cancer cells deeply embedded in the chest wall without damaging surrounding normal tissue by manipulating the amount of a light-sensitive drug and the intensity of the laser that activates it. Mang said this low-dose PDT approach has resulted in complete healing in nearly 90 percent of 102 recurrent breast-cancer lesions.
These results offer further proof of the ability to lower drug concentrations and raise light intensity to successfully treat certain difficult tumors, remarked Mang, who conducted the study at the Photodynamic Therapy Center in Buffalo General Hospital of Kaleida Health, which he directs. It allows broader application of this therapy in patients who can truly benefit from it. Mang announced his findings at the annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.