Photodynamic Therapy in the Treatment of Eye Cancer

 
Purpose:
Eye cancer describes various types of tumors in different regions of the eye. The cancer treatment methods must have the least side effects on eye function and visual acuity. Currently, different treatment methods such as radiotherapy (external beam or brachytherapy), chemotherapy, surgery, and enucleation are used to treat eye tumors. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is another cancer treatment process in which a photosensitizer
is applied locally or systemically and it is selectively absorbed by the malignant tissue, then the tissue is irradiated locally. Successful PDT applications in the treatment of eye tumors have been reported. This study aims to review the role of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of eye cancer.
Methods:
The articles published during 2017-2022 were identified via searching in Google Scholar,
PubMed, and Science Direct using keywords including Photodynamic therapy, eye cancer, tumor, and treatment method. After the selection of the related studies, the required data were extracted and summarized.
Results:
Based on the review results, PDT showed the following advantages for eye cancer treatment:

A safe treatment method with few side effects compared to other treatment methods
A localized method has the least destructive impact on other parts of the eye, leading to the least effect on reducing visual acuity
Non-invasive treatment without significant pain


Easily accessible treatment with lower costs compared to other treatment methods
An outpatient or ambulatory treatment modality without using general anesthesia
It can be used in combination with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery

Conclusion:
PDT is considered to be a safe and tolerable treatment method for eye cancer with high local control rates and an excellent visual prognosis for most patients.
Keywords: Photodynamic therapy, Eye cancer, Tumor, Treatment method