DefinePK

Abstract

An increase in the incidence of Oral Cancer and its attributable mortality has been observed in recent years in Pakistan. Oral cancer is expected to become a public health problem in the near future. However, survival rates have remained at a disappointing level despite significant development in multiple choices of treatment of the disease. Surgery chemotherapy and radiotherapy are standard treatments for oral squamous cell carcinoma, both resulting in good tumour control. However, neither of these modalities is without consequent functional or cosmetic impairment, and there are patients in whom both are contraindicated. Further more, there is significant risk of metachronous tumours developing in the oral cavity and retreatment with either surgery or radiotherapy poses difficulties. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers the potential for improvement in functional and cosmetic outcomes, while achieving comparable tumour contro, in selected cases.