Further Information

For further advice please contact your doctor or nurse. There are a number of centres in Europe carrying out PDT treatments, some of which are listed below. If your doctor considers PDT treatment is appropriate for you then you may be referred to one of these specialist centres.

Mr Colin Hopper
Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon
National Medical Laser Centre
Charles Bell House
67-73 Riding House Street
London, W1W 7EJ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 207 679 9060
Fax: +44 (0) 207 813 2828
email: med.laser@ucl.ac.uk

Mr Graham Putnam
Cumberland Infirmary
Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon
Newton Road
Carlisle
United Kingdom
CA2 7HY
Tel: +44 (0) 1228 814222

Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed
Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre
Karachi 75510,
Pakistan
Tel: 92-21-920-1330

Further to this a list of frequently asked questions are also listed below:

These should be read in conjunction with the Patients Guide and Light Exposure Guidelines – Please read both carefully

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Foscan is a treatment for advanced cancer of the head and neck. This leaflet will answer some questions that you may have about this treatment.

If you have any questions that are not answered by this leaflet, please ask your nurse or doctor.

PDT is a simple procedure, but you do need to understand what will happen and what you need to do to protect yourself from avoidable side effects. It’s important that you understand about your treatment.

What is Photodynamic Therapy?

Please refer to page 4 of the patients guide.

What does the drug do? Will it make me sick or make my hair fall out?

The drug – the photosensitizer – is not like chemotherapy drugs that are used to kill cancer cells. It doesn’t have the same side effects that many anticancer drugs have.

What does the laser do? Will it burn me?

The laser that is used for PDT is not a burning laser. It produces a thin beam of red light; this is not hot, and not even warm. The laser light is very carefully directed onto the tumour, so that the photosensitiser is only activated in the tumour.

Will the treatment hurt?

PDT does cause pain in most people, but the pain is temporary and can be controlled with painkillers. If you have a general anaesthetic, you will be asleep during the treatment and your doctor will make sure that you are given painkillers before you wake up. If you have a local anaesthetic, you’ll be awake but you won’t feel pain during the procedure, and your doctor will give you painkillers before the local anaesthetic wears off. If you are in pain, tell your nurse or doctor straight away.

What are the side-effects of PDT?

The main side effect of PDT is that your skin and eyes become sensitive to light. Because of this, you will need to protect yourself from light for at least 2 weeks after the injection of photosensitiser. After about 2 weeks, you can gradually and carefully return to normal activities. What you should and shouldn’t do regarding light exposure is briefly described in the rest of this leaflet, and is described in more detail in the leaflet ‘PDT – light exposure guidelines’.

The other main side effect of the photosensitiser is that you may experience a burning sensation at the injection site. You may need to have painkillers to control any pain you experience after the procedure. Some people may also experience swelling and reddening of the treated area, infection of the treated area, constipation, nausea and vomiting.

What sort of clothes should I wear to protect myself from light?

To protect your skin from light, you should wear tightly woven dark coloured fabrics. You will need to cover your whole body, including your head, face, neck, ears and hands. You should get your clothes ready for ‘cover up’ before you have the injection of photosensitiser. Check with your nurse or doctor if you’re not sure what to use.

What about my eyes?

It’s very important to protect your eyes. You must wear dark sunglasses with side panels. These must be worn following the injection and should be worn even on cloudy days and in the car.

There are creams and lotions that protect against sunburn. Can I use them?

No. Sunscreens and sun blocks will give no protection at all after the photosensitiser injection. They protect against a different sort of light (ultraviolet light).

How will I know if I’m in too much light?

Your skin will feel prickly or burning. If this happens, you must get out of the light straight away and seek medical advice.

What will happen if I get too much light?

You will get sore red areas, like sunburn, if you get a bit too much light. If you get much too much light, you can get really nasty burns.

Why can’t I stay in a dimly lit room for 2 weeks and then go outside?

You need to gradually expose your skin to some light to get rid of the photosensitiser in your skin. Please read the light exposure guidelines for full information.

Following the injection are there preparations for my home?

Close curtains and blinds on your windows, so you have adequate protection from the daylight on your return home. Check bulb wattage in conjunction with the light guidelines.

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