Evaluation of PDT efficacy by an intense pulsed laser in breast cancer spheroids in simulated hormonal microenvironment

Breast cancer ranked the most prevalence malignancies among women in Hong Kong with 13% mortality rate in 2021. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer therapeutic approach via the combination of a photosensitizer (PS), light, and oxygen to generate reactive oxygen species leading to cancer cell destruction. Continuous laser is commonly applied as the light source in PDT. However, recent studies reported that intense pulsed light (IPL) could be an alternative option for PDT with an enhanced phototoxicity compared to the continuous laser used in 2D cell models.