From basic mechanisms to clinical research: photodynamic therapy applications in head and neck malignancies and vascular anomalies
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Ramsay, Daniele
Stevenson, Harvey
Jerjes, Waseem
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Head and neck cancers are largely squamous cell carcinomas derived from the epithelial lining of the structures in the region, and are often classified anatomically into oral, oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal and laryngeal carcinomas. The region’s component structures serve complex and intricate functions, such as speaking, swallowing and breathing, which are often compromised by these neoplasms. Such lesions may also cause disfigurement, leading to distressing social and psychological issues. Conventional treatments of these neoplasms usually involve surgical intervention with or without chemoradiotherapy. These have shown to be efficacious; however, they can also cause damage to healthy as well as diseased tissue, exacerbating the aforementioned problems. Access to a given region to deliver the treatments is also often a problem, due to the complex anatomical structures involved. The use of photodynamic therapy in the head and neck region has been established for about two decades. In this review, we looked at the basic mechanisms of this intervention, examined its use in common head and neck malignancies and vascular anomalies, and reported on the most recent clinical studies. We further included a clinical guide which can help replicate the use of this technology by any unit. Based on this review, photodynamic therapy has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of head and neck malignancies and vascular tumours. This therapy can be targeted to the diseased tissue and causes no damage to underlying structures. Recent studies have shown this therapy to be as effective as conventional therapies, without causing major adverse effects.
Date Issued
2021-10-01
Date Acceptance
2021-09-17
Citation
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2021, 10 (19)
ISSN
2077-0383
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Volume
10
Issue
19
Copyright Statement
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34640423
PII: jcm10194404
Subjects
EPIDEMIOLOGY
General & Internal Medicine
head and neck
laryngeal cancer
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Medicine, General & Internal
MTHPC
MULTICENTER
nasopharyngeal cancer
NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA
oral cancer
oropharyngeal cancer
OROPHARYNGEAL CANCER
PDT
PORT-WINE STAIN
RADIOTHERAPY
Science & Technology
SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA
SUBCELLULAR-LOCALIZATION
SURGERY
vascular anomalies
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Switzerland
Article Number
4404
Date Publish Online
2021-09-26