Efficacy and safety of 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy for the treatment of ulcerative squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Background Photodynamic therapy is a nonsurgical alternative to conventional tumor excision for squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, photodynamic therapy has many advantages in improving wound healing, especially for diabetic foot lesions and infected ulcers. However, the effect of photodynamic therapy on ulcerative squamous cell carcinoma is not yet clear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy in treating squamous cell carcinoma. Methods A total of six cases of ulcerative squamous cell carcinoma were included in our study. Each ulcer region was irradiated with 120 J/cm2 using a 635-nm red light-emitting diode after application of 5-aminolevulinic acid solution at 1-week intervals. The number of treatment sessions depended on the healing of the lesions. Results The ulcerative lesions showed complete clinical remission with an average 3.7 photodynamic therapy sessions. There was no recurrence during a follow-up of 8.5 months (range, 3 months to 1 year). The patients were able to complete the treatment protocol with good cosmetic results and no significant complications. In addition, most patients reported significant improvement in their quality of life. Conclusions Photodynamic therapy is a promising method for treating ulcerative squamous cell carcinoma. However, its effects need to be validated in larger patient samples in clinical trials.