Temoporfin

Temoporfin (INN) is a photosensitizing agent used in photodynamic therapy. It is a synthetic hematoporphyrin derivative. It is used to treat tumors, including lung, esophageal, head and neck cancers. It is also used to treat non-melanoma skin cancer. When exposed to a non-thermal laser light, it produces a form of oxygen that is toxic to nearby cells. In combination with laser light, Temoporfin can destroy tumors without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.

Temoporfin is a medication used in a type of light therapy called photodynamic therapy (PDT) to treat squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, of the head and neck. It is sold under the brand name Foscan.

Here's how it works:

• Temoporfin is a light-sensitive drug, meaning it can be activated by light.
• After a patient is given an intravenous injection of temoporfin, the drug circulates throughout the body and accumulates in cancer cells.
• Then, a specific type of light is shone on the area being treated. This light activates the temoporfin, which in turn produces a substance called singlet oxygen.
• Singlet oxygen is toxic to cells and can damage and kill cancer cells.