In the process aminolevulinic acid delta is applied to the cervix for 4 hours, after which it is transformed into the fluorescent chemical protoporphyrin IX that accumulates in damage cells and allows them to be eliminated with a special laser beam; in addition to eradicating HPV photodynamic therapy also eliminates premalignant lesion of cervical cancer at very early stages, which was demonstrated in the pilot study.
The National School of Biological Sciences of the National Polytechnic Institute reports the women were treated with the noninvasive photodynamic therapy, which can be an effective method to prevent this neoplasm that is the 2nd cause of death in Mexican women.
Gallegos studied effects of photodynamic therapy on various neoplasms over two decades, and says that in the clinical phase 420 patients were treated with the therapy in addition to the 29 in Mexico City who were infected with HPV and/or premalignant lesion in the cervix; treatment was carried out in two different schemes of applications of the therapy.
In the first stage of investigation the treatment was applied three time with a 48 hour interval of each and radiation time according to each case and type of injury; reviews were made and diagnostic studies were repeated. In those who only had the virus HPV was eliminated in 85%; those who had HPV with lesions had an efficacy of 85%; those with lesion without HPV had efficacy of 42%.
In Mexico City women had double the concentration of delta aminolevulinic acid, and treatment was performed twice with an interval of 48 hours; then reviews and diagnostic studies were repeated. HPV was 100% eliminated in those who carried the virus without injury; in those with HPV and lesions elimination was 64.3%; and in those who had lesions without HPV efficacy was 57.2%.
Photodynamic therapy only removed damaged cells without affecting healthy structures, and was reported to be safe and free of side effects; meaning it has great promise to reduce the death rate from cervical cancer.
