Whole article from Yahoo lscp site.
MARCH 03, 14:18 EST
Potential Benefits of Light Therapy
By The Associated Press
Light, or photodynamic, therapy is being studied for these diseases:
--Mesothelioma, an intractable cancer of the lung lining often caused by asbestos. The University of Pennsylvania has begun an early, or Phase I, study of the British photo-drug Foscan in patients.
--Ovarian cancer. Pennsylvania last year began studying whether photodynamic therapy of the entire abdomen after ovarian surgery can fend off this deadly cancer. Such broad exposure carries more side effects than most light therapy, warns lead investigator Dr. Stephen Hahn, including fluid buildup and temporary loss of bowel function.
--Bladder cancer. Dr. Michael Manyak at George Washington University tested PDT in 40 patients who otherwise would have needed their bladders removed. He said that in 31 percent of the patients, tumors disappeared and in an additonl 50 percent, tumors shrank significantly. Scientists are most vigorously pursuing a Canadian photo-drug called 5-ALA.
--Macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over 65. Phase I/II studies found light therapy appears to safely destroy the abnormal blood vessels growing into the eye, but that regrowth began in about three months. About 20 North American and European hospitals just enrolled 600 patients with moderate vision loss into a more extensive, or Phase III, trial of the Canadian drug BPD to see if repeating therapy every three months halts the blindness. Results are expected sometime next winter. This month, they begin recruiting 450 more patients with mild vision loss to study earlier treatment.
--Barrett's esophagus, an incurable, precancerous condition affecting the lining of the esophagus. Phase II trials suggest light therapy may eliminate Barrett's esophagus in some patients. Final trials in 30 North American hospitals are beginning.
--Early esophageal cancer. Johns Hopkins University and several other U.S. hospitals are testing whether Photofrin can eliminate, instead of just alleviate, very early cancer.
--Advanced lung cancer. QLT Phototherapeutics is seeking FDA approval of Photofrin to alleviate symptoms of advanced lung cancer.
--Endometriosis. Promising animal studies suggest PDT concentrates in this abnormal uterine tissue enough to provide an easier treatment than hysterectomy or hormones. Manyak is seeking funds for a clinical trial.
--Doctors also are beginning very early study of light therapy against cervical cancer, precancerous cervical dysplasia, and such autoimmune diseases as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. |
