Advantages of combined photodynamic therapy in the treatment of oncological diseases

When conducting combined therapy of malignant neoplasms, treatment methods with various mechanisms of antitumor effects are used, while an additive or even synergistic effect can be realized. Combination treatment regimens are aimed at increasing the efficiency and, above all, at the complete eradication of the tumor, which can be achieved either by suppressing the survival mechanisms in PDT-resistant tumor cells or by pre-attenuation of tumor cells so that they become more susceptible to subsequent PDT. Photodynamic therapy is an approved medical technology for the treatment of various malignant neoplasms, and several precancerous and non-cancer diseases. To date, numerous data have been published on the combined use of PDT with traditional and innovative methods of treatment. This review considers research in this area in recent years.