Current treatment for spinal metastasis involves a multimodal approach, including bisphosphonates and radiation therapy. Yet, tumour response varies considerably, thus novel treatments or combination therapies are needed to treat these metastases while preserving stability and integrity of the spinal column. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been shown to be successful in destroying vertebral osteolytic tumours and enhancing vertebral structure, particularly in combination with bisphosphonates. This thesis aims to evaluate the longer-term effects of PDT alone and in combination with bisphosphonate or radiation therapy on healthy vertebrae, and the short-term effects of PDT combined with radiation therapy on healthy and metastatically-involved vertebrae. The benefits of PDT on vertebral structure, both at short-term and longer-term time-points, were greatest in combination with previous bisphosphonate therapy. Similar effects, to a lesser magnitude, were seen with PDT in combination with radiation therapy. This work supports future translation of PDT for the treatment of spinal metastases.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/31316 |
| Date | 14 December 2011 |
| Creators | Lo, Victor |
| Contributors | Whyne, Cari |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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