ScienceDaily (Jun. 6, 2008) — When Sammie Bush mentioned to his doctor that he sometimes felt something in the back of his throat, he didn't expect to learn that he had cancer or that he would be the first patient at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago to undergo photodynamic therapy -- a new procedure that uses light to destroy cancer.

Bush's physician, Dr. H. Steven Sims, assistant professor of otolaryngology and director of UIC's Chicago Institute for Voice Care, determined that surgery would not be enough to completely remove Bush's cancer.

Using a laser technique that pinpoints cancer cells, Sims removed the cancer from around Bush's vocal folds without affecting his ability to use his voice. The worst side effects may be a sore throat for few weeks, and the need to cover up to avoid sunburn.

Photodynamic therapy has been used in other contexts, but its use to treat cancers of the throat is recent, said Sims. "Most importantly, the sensitivity of the voice box to other cancer treatments makes this treatment option particularly significant," he said.

Bush was given a light-activated drug intravenously on Tuesday, May 13. The drug is taken up by all cells, and Bush immediately became photosensitive, or very vulnerable to sunlight, and had to take precautions against the sun.

Spotted here