The Daily Bulletin

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the seminar "Image-Based Treatment Planning for Interstitial Photodynamic Therapy of Locally Advanced Cancers," presented by Emily Oakley, postdoctoral research affiliate at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute, on Monday, February 27, at 3:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 216. Dr. Oakley obtained her Ph.D. in biophysics from the University at Buffalo in 2021. Her primary research at Roswell involves treating advanced cancers using interstitial photodynamic therapy (I-PDT). Attendees are welcome to arrive at 2:30 p.m. to enjoy coffee and cookies leading up to the seminar.

Abstract
The life expectancy for patients with large, recurrent cancerous tumors in the head and neck or lung is a dismal three to seven months. These patients typically have an inoperable tumor that failed to respond to individual or combined treatment modalities such as radiation, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy. Interstitial photodynamic therapy (I-PDT) is a promising treatment that until now has been limited by the absence of accurate and reproducible treatment planning tools. Such tools are essential for the safe and effective treatment of large cancerous tumors, especially in the head and neck and lung, since these tumors are frequently adjacent to critical anatomical structures (e.g., major blood vessels).

I-PDT involves the administration of a photosensitive drug (photosensitizer, PS) followed by activation of light of a specific wavelength. The light is delivered through one or more optical fibers that are inserted directly into the target tumor volume. In the presence of oxygen, PS activation results in the production of reactive oxygen species, typically singlet oxygen, that leads to tumor cell death, damage to the microvasculature, and in some cases induction of an immune response.