Abstract
Cancer develops from the outgrowth of a clonal population of cells with a genetic pathology
to evade cell death and exponential proliferation. It has become a global burden with
increasing mortality rates. Lung cancer is a major contributor to cancer fatalities. Conventional
therapies have shown advances in treating lung cancer, but the successful eradication
of cancer lies in targeting both cancer and cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells (CSCs)
are a ration of cells found within the tumour bulk, capable of cancer initiation, therapy
resistance, metastasis and cancer relapse. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has proven effective
in treating lung cancer. PDT exerts selective cell death mechanisms toward cancerous
cells. With the use of a photosensitizer (PS) which becomes excited upon irradiation with
laser light at a specific wavelength, the PS forms reactive oxygen species (ROS) in turn
killing neoplastic cells. Leading therapeutic sequel can be obtained by transcending PDT
though combination therapies such as immunotherapy and nanotechnology which will
enable PDT to target lung CSCs preventing lung cancer recurrence.