Can Next Generation PDT be combined with surgery /chemo/ radiation?
The traditional therapies for cancer treatment usually begin with a diagnostic work up often leading to a confirmation by biopsy (obtaining a surgical specimen and subjecting it to microscopic pathological examination for the presence of cancer cells). If the tumor is solitary and in a non-critical area, the option of surgical removal (excision) is usually offered to the patient. In many instances, because it is sometimes difficult if not impossible to know fully whether the primary tumor has spread to regional lymph nodes and/or distant parts of the body, if the biopsy shows malignant cells the surgeon may also take samples of nodes and see if they show evidence of malignant cell spread. If this is the case, and in some cases even if this test is negative chemo and/or radiation therapy is recommended as insurance against growth of these malignant growths that might or have spread. Some studies have shown the benefits of Chemo in general to be only about 2.5% in spite harsh side effect
