A Personal History of Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), which utilizes a photoactivated drug (photosensitizer) to destroy malignant or certain other undesirable tissue, is approved by health agencies worldwide, mainly for the treatment of early- and late-stage lung cancer and premalignant and obstructive esophageal cancer. The clinical and scientific development of PDT began in the early 1970s at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. This paper presents the history of this process at Roswell Park.