Photodynamic therapy in treatment of basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer which has significant local invasion and morbidity. Hence the development of new therapeutic strategies is of almost interest. Surgical excision has been the most often used therapy for BCC for many years but the development of a new treatment with best cosmetic outcome and minimum scar formation is of increasing interest. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel non-invasive therapy for BCC, especially in patients who are not suitable candidates for surgery, which leads to minimum injuries in surrounding non-tumoral tissue. Furthermore, PDT may have some prop hylactic roles against new BCC formation in certain patients. In this article we are going to present a brief history of PDT and review its potential role in treatment and prevention of different types of BCC.