Combination Treatment with Photodynamic Therapy and Laser Ablation in Breast Cancer: An Animal Model Study

Purpose: Minimally invasive treatments for early breast cancer have been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare two such treatments, laser ablation and photodynamic therapy (PDT), regarding their therapeutic efficacy for breast cancer. Methods: Breast tumors were induced in 12 mice models. The treatment options were classified into four groups: control group (without any treatment, A), group treated only with laser ablation (B), group treated only with PDT (C), and group treated with the combination of laser ablation followed by PDT (D). The treatment effects were compared among these groups. Results: Among the groups, the group D underwent the most effective treatment for breast cancer. Not only were the breast cancer cells necrotized by laser ablation, but the tumor margin was also managed by PDT. Conclusions: The treatment method combining laser ablation and PDT showed superior results to single treatment techniques using just one of these approaches.