The improvement of technology has no doubt significantly improved our quality of life, especially when it comes to treatment of terminal illnesses, which were once considered incurable. For instance, the introduction of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy had helped to significantly prolong the life of patients with cancer. While many of us have heard of chemotherapy, which is the most common treatment method used for cancer patients, photodynamic therapy is seemingly less known among the general public.

Photodynamic therapy refers to the process in which high intensity lights of specific wavelength are used to activate photosensitising agents that were administered to the patients. In the presence of oxygen, the process would lead irreversible damage to the targeted tumour tissues. With that said, as the light penetrates into the body tissue at a desired range, there will be minimal damage caused to the tissues located in the surrounding tissues. Furthermore, the therapy method results in little or no scarring upon recovery. In fact, multiple studies conducted across the world over a 25-year period have established the usefulness of photodynamic therapy as a form of treatment for some cancers, especially inoperable cancers at the early stages.

As a company who specialises in lighting consultancy, constant and progressive research is a valuable component that would allow us to keep our competitive edge. As pharmaceutical sciences develop to treat both age-old diseases like cancer and new diseases like the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a breakthrough in the development of lighting technology can accelerate the rate of development and adoption of medical processes that utilize light development, such as photodynamic therapy.

References:

https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article/90/12/889/960771

https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.20114