Re: cytoluminescent therapy

Jim Beaver wrote:

> My wife has Stage IV adenocarcinoma of the lung with mets in the sternum,
> lumbar spine and hip.  She's 45.  She's just started her second three-week
> cycle of navelbine & cisplatin, and just finished 16 radiation sessions.
>
> A LOT of people have been pointing us toward the Cytoluminescent Therapy
> treatment available in Ireland (and also Canada?).  I've seen their website
> and also seen a documentary produced by an L.A. film producer who has
> undergone the treatment.  It sounds awfully good, so of course I'm
> suspicious.
>
> My wife's oncs have, for the most part, appeared to be completely or almost
> completely unaware of the process.
>
> Anyone here have anything reliably good to say about it?

Jim,
Since someone pointed out that it's the same as photodynamic therapy..
also called PDT, photoradiation therapy, phototherapy, or photochemotherapy)
I"ve found nothing more recent at NCI
J
http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/7_7.htm
Date reviewed: 8/24/1999
Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (also called PDT, photoradiation therapy, phototherapy, or
photochemotherapy) is a treatment for some types of cancer. It is based on the
discovery that certain chemicals known as photosensitizing agents can kill
one-celled organisms when the organisms are exposed to a particular type of
light. PDT destroys cancer cells through the use of a fixed-frequency laser
light in combination with a photosensitizing agent.

In PDT, the photosensitizing agent is injected into the bloodstream and
absorbed by cells all over the body. The agent remains in cancer cells for a
longer time than it does in normal cells. When the treated cancer cells are
exposed to laser light, the photosensitizing agent absorbs the light and
produces an active form of oxygen that destroys the treated cancer cells. Light
exposure must be timed carefully so that it occurs when most of the
photosensitizing agent has left healthy cells but is still present in the
cancer cells.

The laser light used in PDT can be directed through a fiber-optic (a very thin
glass strand). The fiber-optic is placed close to the cancer to deliver the
proper amount of light. The fiber-optic can be directed through a bronchoscope
into the lungs for the treatment of lung cancer or through an endoscope into
the esophagus for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

An advantage of PDT is that it causes minimal damage to healthy tissue.
However, because the laser light currently in use cannot pass through more than
about 3 centimeters of tissue (a little more than one and an eighth inch), PDT
is mainly used to treat tumors on or just under the skin or on the lining of
internal organs.

Photodynamic therapy makes the skin and eyes sensitive to light for 6 weeks or
more after treatment. Patients are advised to avoid direct sunlight and bright
indoor light for at least 6 weeks. If patients must go outdoors, they need to
wear protective clothing, including sunglasses. Patients should talk with their
doctor about what to do if the skin becomes blistered, red, or swollen. Other
temporary side effects of PDT are related to the treatment of specific areas
and can include coughing, trouble swallowing, abdominal pain, and painful
breathing or shortness of breath.

In December 1995, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a
photosensitizing agent called porfimer sodium, or Photofrin®, to relieve
symptoms of esophageal cancer that is causing an obstruction and for esophageal
cancer that cannot be satisfactorily treated with lasers alone. In January
1998, the FDA approved porfimer sodium for the treatment of early nonsmall cell
lung cancer in patients for whom the usual treatments for lung cancer are not
appropriate. The National Cancer Institute and other institutions are
supporting clinical trials (research studies) to evaluate the use of
photodynamic therapy for several types of cancer, including cancers of the
bladder, brain, larynx, and oral cavity. Researchers are also looking at
different laser types, photosensitizers that can be applied to the skin to
treat superficial skin cancers, and new photosensitizing agents that may
increase the effectiveness of PDT against cancers that are located further
below the skin or inside an organ.

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