9. Present and future of the photodynamic therapy in cervical cancer treatment

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is considered a highly effective method to diagnose and treat a wide variety of premalignant and malignant processes characterized by the selective elimination of cancerous cells. PDT is based in the capability of some neoplastic cells to specifically accumulate a photosensitizer (Ps), which is photoactivated with local illumination of a specific wavelength. The Ps reacts direct and indirectly with the molecular oxygen present in cancerous cells by the generation of reactive oxygen species that are cytotoxic. In this review it will be briefly described the natural history of cervical cancer (CC) and its immediate precursor Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN), an analysis of the spontaneous regression of CINs and the management and treatment of CC. In the other hand it is also described the photochemistry and photobiology of the PDT, a review of PDT results on cervical carcinoma and premalignant lesions in others countries and a brief description of in vitro and pre-clinical studies in the treatment of cervical cancer that we realized, and the places where it is applied the PDT in Mexico. Finally it is presented an analysis of the perspectives of the CC treatment with PDT. Correspondence/Reprint request: Dr. Eva Ramón-Gallegos, Lab. de Citopatología Ambiental. Depto. de Morfología. Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas-IPN. Campus Zacatenco. Unidad Profesional "Adolfo López Mateos". Calle Wilfrido Massieu S/N. Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07738, México, D.F. E-mail: [email protected] Eva Ramón-Gallegos 190