- With Mayo Clinic medical oncologist
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
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Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
"As a practicing medical oncologist, I meet with patients and families every day to help manage their course through this disease called cancer. This experience provides unique insight into the needs of cancer patients, their families and loved ones and brings into sharp focus the need for reliable information to be readily available in terms that can be easily understood." — Dr. Timothy Moynihan
Dr. Timothy Moynihan believes that providing consumers accurate, timely information on the broad, complex topic of cancer is the biggest challenge facing medical Web sites. As the guiding force behind our cancer coverage, he makes sure Mayo Clinic meets the test.
Dr. Moynihan, born in Las Vegas, N.M., but raised in Denver, is a consultant in medical oncology at Mayo Clinic and an associate professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice and palliative care medicine. He did his medical oncology training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and then went on to the University of Minnesota and St. Paul Regions Medical Center in St. Paul, Minn., for seven years before moving to Mayo Clinic in 1999. Dr. Moynihan is director of the palliative care program at Mayo Clinic and associate medical director of the Mayo Clinic hospice.
Dr. Moynihan currently serves as the education chair for the Department of Medical Oncology and fellowship program director. Four times he has been selected as Teacher of the Year in medical oncology and elected to the Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame. Past honors include distinguished clinical teacher at the University of Minnesota Medical School, best internist at the Medical College of Wisconsin and recipient of The Upjohn Achievement Award for Excellence in Medicine. He serves on several national committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
"The Internet provides a ready source of information on a wide range of topics of interest to those affected by cancer," Dr. Moynihan says. "The difficulty is trying to decide which sites provide reputable information and which information is relevant to each individual patient. The long history and tradition of excellence associated with Mayo Clinic assures you that information provided will be reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive."
Definition (1)
- Lung nodules: Can they be cancerous?
Treatments and drugs (2)
- Small cell lung cancer: Can brain radiation prevent spread?
- Photodynamic therapy: An effective treatment for lung cancer?
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Question
Photodynamic therapy: An effective treatment for lung cancer?
Is photodynamic therapy an effective treatment for lung cancer?
Answer
from Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Photodynamic therapy may play a limited role in lung cancer treatment — generally complementing, rather than replacing, other forms of treatment.
Photodynamic therapy begins with the injection of a light-sensitive medication into a specific vein. One to three days later, the doctor shines light of a certain wavelength onto the tumor from inside the body — typically using a thin, lighted tube called a bronchoscope, which can be passed through the mouth into the lungs. The light destroys the cells that have absorbed the medication, as well as other cells in the area. The goal is to shrink or control the tumor, which can help relieve symptoms such as bleeding, shortness of breath and wheezing.
After photodynamic therapy, the affected area is highly sensitive to light. Generally, it's best to avoid any exposure to bright light, including the sun, for up to six weeks after treatment.
Photodynamic therapy isn't effective for widespread cancers or tumors that can't be reached by the light.
Next questionLung nodules: Can they be cancerous?
- Moynihan TJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 21, 2008.
- Ernst A, et al. Photodynamic therapy of lung cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 22, 2008.
- Photodynamic therapy for cancer: Questions and answers. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/photodynamic. Accessed Sept. 22, 2008.
- Zuluaga MF, et al. Combination of photodynamic therapy with anti-cancer agents. Current Medicinal Chemistry. 2008;15(17):1655-1673.
