Photodynamic Therapy Of Diseases Of The Head And Neck

"Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is currently clinically employed to treat several malignant and nonmalignant diseases. With approvals for various applications by health agencies in Europe, the US, Canada, and Japan, PDT represents the method of choice for treatment of age-related macular degeneration and is appreciated as a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure to treat skin, esophageal, head and neck, lung, and bladder cancers with high cure rates, nearly no side effects, and excellent cosmetic outcomes. Current basic research and clinical studies will help to further integrate PDT as a mainstream procedure for cancer treatment. This book presents an overview of the important medical applications of PDT, including approved treatments, clinical trials, and investigated therapies for cancer and non-malignant diseases."--

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is currently clinically employed to treat several malignant and nonmalignant diseases. With approvals for various applications by health agencies in Europe, the US, Canada, and Japan, PDT represents the method of choice for treatment of age-related macular degeneration and is appreciated as a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure to treat skin, esophageal, head and neck, lung, and bladder cancers with high cure rates, nearly no side effects, and excellent cosmetic outcomes. Current basic research and clinical studies will help to further integrate PDT as a mainstream procedure for cancer treatment. This book presents an overview of the important medical applications of PDT, including approved treatments, clinical trials, and investigated therapies for cancer and non-malignant diseases.

The main objective of this book is to present the recent applications of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in treating cancer and other diseases. The limitations associated with current PDT agents, and the synthetic designs that have been used in various laboratories are also discussed. The utility of certain tumor-avid agent for cancer imaging (fluorescence, PET, MRI) is also summarized. The book also includes the use of delivery vehicles, including nanoparticles in improving the tumor-specificity of the desired agents. The book is basically focused on the translational approach of drug development. By providing certain specific examples, a clear concept of moving a 'product' from the bench to bed-side is also discussed.To have a clear concept of drug development the book is divided in three parts — Medicinal Chemistry, Mechanistic and Clinical studies. Each part includes the contributions from the leading scientists with extensive experience in the respective field. The handbook is assembled by renowned scientists Dr Dougherty, known as the father of PDT, Dr Kessel, well known for his contributions on mechanism of PDT and Dr Pandey for his inventions in developing improved agents for PDT and cancer-imaging.

"This book addresses major problem in the management of patients with cancer of the head and neck. The authors have written six chapters of particular importance for head and neck cancer diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Chapter 1 describes treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head. Chapter 2 presents treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the neck. Biochemical studies of head and neck cancer treatments are presented in Chaper 3. In chapter 4 biochemical studies of head and neck cancer biomarkers are presented. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) exploits light interactions and photosensitizers to induce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. Photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) uses the phenomenon of photosensitizer emitting fluorescence to distinguish some tumors from normal tissue. PDT offers a therapeutic solution that has been found to be cost-effective compared to palliative major surgery or chemotherapy. However, despite the significant improvement noted in preclinical and clinical trials, PDT is still not considered the standard treatment option for head and neck cancer. Multiple photosensitizers have been studied and tumors have been treated in a variety of head and neck sites over the last 30 years. Photodynamic therapy is a palliative treatment option for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients which induces local inflammation and alters tumor cell morphology"--

This authoritative guide provides the most comprehensive reference volume describing current preclinical and clinical applications and protocols for photodynamic therapy. It includes coverage of dosimetric procedures for measuring PDT doses and responses.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is increasingly being used amongst health practitioners in combating a variety of diseases. One common strategy used during this light activated process is to induce the accumulation of significant amounts of a photosensitising agent in the diseased tissue. The naturally occurring amino acid 5-aminovulinic acid (ALA) is used to produce high levels of the photosensitizer, Protoprophyin IX, in the therapy known as ALA-PDT. Written by experts in the field Photodynamic therapy with ALA outlines a variety of clinical approaches to the topic, outlining current applications. These include the use of ALA-PDT and ALA-FD (fluorescence diagnosis) in the areas of dermatology, urology, brain, otorhinolaryngology, gynaecology and gastroenterology. Also included is a chapter that comprehensively reviews the scientific principles of ALA-PDT. Primarily aimed a clinical audience Photodynamic therapy with ALA should provide a comprehensive review and useful insight into ALA-PDT.

Throughout the world, head and neck cancer is a major threat to public health and a significant challenge to both clinicians and basic scientists. Despite extensive efforts in primary prevention, screening, early detection, and therapy, long-term survival rates have not improved substantially in the last three decades. This book covers a wide range of exciting new findings in both clinical and basic sciences as they are relevant to head and neck cancer. These findings have recently enhanced our understanding of head and neck carcinogenesis at the genetic and molecular levels, offering the promise of improved preventive and therapeutic strategies. This book will also present information on the important clinical advances that have been made in chemoprevention, organ preservation, and the simultaneous use of chemo therapy and radiotherapy. The first part provides an overview of the etiology and biology of head and neck cancer, including an examination of human papillomaviruses in both benign and malignant lesions. This section also discusses the carcinogenic process at the genetic and molecular levels, as well as aberrant squamous differentiation; increased understanding of these areas has great potential to translate into new strategies for cancer prevention. The second part describes recent advances in developing a risk model for head and neck cancer, as well as the application of genetic susceptibility data in chemoprevention. This section also includes overviews of the status of chemoprevention trials and of the process of invasion and metastasis in head and neck cancer.