Prostate cancer may be the second most common cancer in men in the United States, but scientists from the University College London are giving men with the disease a reason to hope for a better tomorrow.

1. Light Therapy: A Huge
Step forward for
Prostate Cancer
Treatment
Intermountain LDS Hopsital

2. 0
Prostate cancer may be the second most common cancer in men in the United
States, but scientists from the University College London are giving men with the
disease a reason to hope for a better tomorrow. They have, in fact, made a
breakthrough discovery regarding the treatment of low-risk prostate cancer. A new
drug from an underwater source has the ability to kill prostate cancer cells with the
use of a laser — without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue.
What is Light Therapy?
The new non-surgical treatment discovered by the scientists called Vascular Targeted
Photodynamic Therapy or light therapy, for short, involves injecting patients with a
light-sensitive drug. The drug is activated using a laser and has the capacity to
destroy cancer cells in the prostate gland without harming healthy tissue. The drug
comes from the bottom of the sea, and it can convert light into high-intensity energy
strong enough to kill cancer cells. With the new procedure, doctors won’t have to
resort to organ removal to prevent the spread of the disease.

3. A Targeted Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment
413 patients participated in the study: 206 patients received light therapy, while
the remaining 207 received the standard form of treatment called “active
surveillance” where the disease is monitored and treated only when it is a severe
case.
The results of the study reveal that 49% of patients who received light therapy had
entered remission, compared to only 13.5% of patients from the control group. This
has shown that light therapy can help men with low-risk prostate cancer and deliver
more precise therapy.
A Huge Step Forward in Improving Prostate Cancer Procedures
Prostate cancer has lagged behind other types of cancer in terms of diagnosis,
treatment, and research funding. Until recently, in fact, the treatment for the
condition involved radical treatment procedures or the removal of the prostate gland
in patients. Organ removal leaves patients impotent, however, and doctors are
hesitant to operate on men unless they at a high risk. In contrast, light therapy
allows doctors to selectively eliminate cancer cells with little risk to the still-healthy
tissue.

4. Light therapy shows the potential of new, non-surgical approaches to cancer
treatment. It is a huge step forward in the treatment of a disease that usually
involves removing the entire organ to prevent the spread of cancer cells.
Resources:
https://intermountainhealthcare.org
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161219202008.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314830.php
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1216/201216-prostate-cancer-light-
therapy
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/20/prostate-cancer-laser-treatment-
could-be-game-changer-for-men