Non-
melanoma skin cancers are the most common skin
tumors. Because of their frequent localization on the face and hand, aesthetic aspects of the therapeutic procedures should also be considered. Surgical excision still remains the first choice, but recently several new
alternative therapies have emerged, especially for the treatment of superficial
skin cancer.
Photodynamic therapy has become a widely accepted therapeutic method for certain non-
melanoma skin
tumors.
Photodynamic therapy involves the use of light to activate a
photosensitizer, localized in diseased tissues.
Photosensitizers are
tumor-selective: their accumulation in rapidly proliferating cells and newly formed blood vessels is significantly higher than in the surrounding healthy tissues. During
photodynamic therapy, cytotoxic
reactive oxygen species are formed from the
photosensitizer, leading to changes in subcellular pathways or apoptosis of the cells. Efficacy of the
photodynamic therapy has been proven in solar
keratosis, superficial
basal cell carcinoma and morbus Bowen, with significantly better cosmetic outcome than that of the conventional therapeutic methods. Side effects, like
erythema, crusting, serous discharge, or oedema, are usually moderate, and dissolve rapidly. The present article summarizes the authors' experiences with photodynamic treatment (212 non-
melanoma skin cancer patients were treated with
PDT between December 2003 and January 2006), at the Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Hungary, and reviews the literature of
photodynamic therapy in dermatooncology.