Photodynamic therapy in colorectal cancer treatment: the state of the art in clinical trials

Abstract

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used in many different oncologic fields. Also in gastroenterology, where have been a few attempts to treat both the premalignant lesion and advanced colorectal cancer. This review aims to give a general overview of the PDT application to colorectal cancer in the field of clinical trials to emphasize its curative, and insufficiently exploited potential.

Materials and methods: Literature on PDT for colorectal cancer with the following medical subject headings search terms: colorectal cancer, photodynamic therapy, clinical trials was reviewed. The articles were selected by their relevance to the topic.

Results: There are many positive and promising trial results from I to II/III phase for the use of PDT in colorectal cancer both in less advanced tumors as well as in the palliative therapy of advanced lesions.

Concluding remarks: PDT seems to be a safe and a feasible treatment option for colorectal cancer. Theoretical assumptions confirmed by many results of preclinical studies taking into consideration an increasing number of analyzed clinical trials, should lead to the development of optimized standards by using PDT in colorectal cancer treatment.

Keywords: Cancer treatment; Clinical trials; Colorectal cancer; Photodynamic therapy.