Researchers at the PDT Center have many questions about how they can advance cancer treatment using light therapy.
What are the best practices? Are there new ways to use PDT in treating cancer? What new technology can be developed? What is the quality of life for patients after PDT treatment? Is is possible to use light to diagnose skin lesions without taking a biopsy?
Clinical studies can help answer these questions and lead to advances in cancer treatment.
Multispectral Imaging Study of Human Skin Lesion
This research program investigates a noninvasive method for diagnosing malignant melanoma among pigmented skin lesions. Current diagnosis of melanoma requires clinical expertise, biopsies and follow-up visits. If the diagnostic method under study in this research project is proven to be at least equal to the present method of detection, it would mean patients with benign lesions would not have to be biopsied to be diagnosed.
Quality of Life after Photodynamic Therapy
This research study is designed to assess the quality of life of patients who have cancer and undergo photodynamic therapy treatment.
Photodynamic Therapy in Dysplasia and Carcinoma-in situ of the Aero Digestive Tract
This study is designed to assess the ability of light (photodynamic therapy) to treat various types of cancer. The goal of this photodynamic therapy is to localize the "treatment effect" to just the tumor, which may minimize the side effects of the treatment.
Fluorescence Detection Imaging of Breast Cancer Chest Wall Recurrence for Photodynamic Therapy Treatment Field Identification
This program investigates the ability of fluorescence imaging of the chest wall to provide data, which will be possibly used to produce a more sensitive method to diagnose the extent of disease, and improve the treatment of breast cancer with chest wall recurrence for future patients. Imaging will be done before and after photosensitizer injection and before and after light activation.
Safety and Efficacy of Refractory Cancers Using Litx (TM) System. Section A: Phase II Safety and Efficacy Study in Patients with Liver Metastases from Colorectal Cancer Who Failed Chemotherapy
The Litx photodynamic therapy system is to be tested in patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer who have failed previous chemotherapy. The program will study the safety and efficacy of the LitxTM system by delivering the light from the light bar (or bars) which will be implanted directly through the skin and into the metastasized liver lesions.
Intracavitary Photodynamic Therapy in Metastatic Pleural MalignanciesMetastatic pleural malignancy (cancer between the chest wall and the surface of the lung) and cancer in the airways affects people's lives in many ways. The purpose of this study is to determine whether photodynamic therapy to treat the cancer lesions can be delivered through a thoracoscope or bronchoscope.
