Breast cancer as photodynamic therapy target: Enhanced therapeutic efficiency by overview of tumor complexity

MARIA JULIA LAMBERTI; RUMIE VITTAR NATALIA BELEN; RIVAROLA VIVIANA A

World Journal of Clinical Oncology

Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

Año: 2014 vol. 5 p. 911 - 917

2218-4333

Photodynamic therapy is a minimally invasive andclinically approved procedure for eliminating selectedmalignant cells with specific light activation of a photosensitizer agent. Whereas interstitial and intra-operativeapproaches have been investigated for the ablation of abroad range of superficial or bulky solid tumors such asbreast cancer, the majority of approved photodynamictherapy protocols are for the treatment of superficial lesions of skin and luminal organs. This review article willdiscuss recent progress in research focused mainly onassessing the efficacies of various photosensitizers usedin photodynamic therapy, as well as the combinatorystrategies of various therapeutic modalities for improving treatments of parenchymal and/or stromal tissues ofbreast cancer solid tumors. Cytotoxic agents are used incancer treatments for their effect on rapidly proliferating cancer cells. However, such therapeutics often lackspecificity, which can lead to toxicity and undesirableside effects. Many approaches are designed to targettumors. Selective therapies can be established by focusing on distinctive intracellular (receptors, apoptotic pathways, multidrug resistance system, nitric oxidemediated stress) and environmental (glucose,  pH) differences between tumor and healthy tissue. A rational design of effective combination regimens for breast cancer treatment involves a better understanding of the mechanisms and molecular interactions of cytotoxic agents that underlie drug resistance and sensitivity.