Possibilities of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of malignant tumors of the oral cavity

Oral mucosa cancer is a common disease with relatively low survival rates. The standard for the treatment of malignant neoplasms (MNO) of the oral mucosa is the surgical method, chemotherapy and / or radiation therapy. With the introduction of modern protocols and the improvement of current treatment methods, the increase in survival is insignificant due to the development of local and distant relapses, the appearance of simultaneous tumors of the oral cavity. Cosmetic and functional results in patients who have undergone complex treatment for oral cancer are often unsatisfactory. There is an obvious need to develop new approaches to treating patients with cancer of the oral mucosa. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has similar properties. With the development of endoscopic and fiber-optic equipment, the fields of PDT application have significantly expanded. Foci in the oral cavity and oropharynx became available for PDT. The early stages of oral mucosal cancer are optimal for PDT because large surface defects can be treated with minimal complications. Preservation of subepithelial and collagen structures, which is typical for PDT, promotes healing without the formation of scar processes, thereby achieving an ideal cosmetic and functional effect. The use of PDT in the treatment of oral cavity cancer is not limited only to the initial stages in an independent version. It is possible to use PDT in combination with surgical and radiation treatment. In case of massive tumor processes, PDT is used for palliative purposes. The influence of the adaptive immune response under the influence of PDT is being studied.