Predicting spatially-resolved photosensitizer accumulation for personalized iPDT treatment planning

Treatment planning based on explicit dosimetry has the potential to improve a patient's therapeutic outcome. PDT treatment planning for solid tumors needs to result in the lowest number of diffusers required, their positions and assigned optical powers to restrict the clinical effective light power density to the target volume considering the spatial and temporal co-localization of the photons, photosensitizers, and oxygen concentration. The current treatment planning tools utilize only the population's average photosensitizer concentrations in the target and surrounding tissues. However, the photosensitizer and oxygen concentrations (pO2) show variability within and between subjects. The objective of this study is to develop innovative methods for predicting spatially-resolved photosensitizer distribution and integrating this information into clinical personalized iPDT treatment planning