CRguy wrote:When I was searching for my Dad's mesothelioma information, I thought I recall an intrathoracic use of PDT ( in Canada ??? ) as opposed to transcutaneous / interstitial laser activations ???? I will try to dig that out, but it may have been experimental. Yes that travel would be significant !
Maia any info from your side ???
Transcutaneous, for the treatment of the pleura only (like in mesothelioma), may be experimental at some hospitals/ centers in Canada (but they will use it only for that kind of cancer, mesothelioma; not for mets from other cancer). I think that the same status (experimental) goes for
peri-operative/ intra-thoracic (the use of photodynamic while doing open surgery; but they won't do surgery on Carm. They do that at
Roswell Park, near enough TO; so maybe for a next surgery). In Canada, maybe (but I doubt it) they would use PDT in some hospital in the case of some
endobronchial seated tumour, if it's obstructing the air passage (in Ontario, that would be the
Juravinsky, in Hamilton. Those are all the cases in which it could be used, in Canada (for what I know at the present). Carm, If your ask to your onc at the PMH, they will probably say you don't qualify and that treatment in China is unproven (and both statements are true).
Transcutaneous/full body is experimental *and* commercial --that's what is offered in China, the UK, etc.; you can get that if you pay for it, and it's not in the set of a clinical trial. It *may* work for tumours alocated near the surface (like in the pleura, skin, etc.; maybe 1 cm deep) and as an immunological booster (since a great amount of circulating blood would get treated). I doubt it could work, with the actual equipment, in tumors seated deeper in the body (liver, mediastinum, pancreas, colon, etc.), but I could be wrong. It would work in the pleura, yes.
Said that about Canada, on the other hand, they have there some of the best world specialists in photodynamic therapy, IMHO:
Dr Brain Wilson and
Dr Lothar Lilge (they work/worked
together). I would boldly go and contact them, explain the situation and ask for some 'guidance'. You may be surprised by how many times researchers are open to talk, to reply a short, well-articulated inquiry. They may share some valuable info. They, instead of the oncologists, certainly would know if those full-body PTD beds (in China and other places) have some potential, or if there is a clinical trial coming soon, etc.
I'm following
Dr Lilge (University Health Network, PMH, Toronto
llilge@uhnres.utoronto.ca)'s work. He works at the UHN with equipment and photosensitizer provided by a Canadian company,
Theralase, that has to be the PD technology that is closest to human clinical trials. In
2012, they had this results on mice (PDT was transcutaneously /
transdermally administered):
Dr. Lothar Lilge stated that, "These preclinical results demonstrate that the Theralase Photo Dynamic Compounds appear to be highly effective (100% cancer cell kill) when used to destroy various cancer cell lines in-vitro; specifically, brain glioma (U-87 and F-98) and in-vivo; specifically, colon cancer (CT-26WT), in the treatment of subcutaneous cancer tumours in Balb/c mice.
(...) Our research has demonstrated a kill rate of effectively 100% in specific human brain and colon cancer cells lines. With the high mouse survival rate, which is approximately equivalent to 11 years “cancer free” in humans, being observed in this study, these results lay the groundwork for further preclinical work for these specific cancers. If the preclinical work is proven successful, this would lead to human clinical trials as early as 2013.
Later, in
2013, they found a very important mechanism involved. I have hopes they will start some human trial this year, and it should be for colon cancer, since it has worked well on it, so far.
PTD is really a wonderful technology; these are the
ongoing trials. It was one of the first 'no chemo' options I explored a couple of years ago, for my friend. I'll try and make a separate post about it, eventually.