Role of photodynamic therapy for the upper gut

It may be questioned whether photodynamic therapy is still relevant for practicing gastroenterologists as other types of therapy have currently gained momentum. Important aspects of photodynamic therapy that continue its development are its intrinsic applicability to the luminal gastrointestinal tract where often there are areas of mechanical narrowing, unusual topography, and difficult accessibility where a modality that does not require contact or optical visualization has advantages. Although not used as often in the upper gastrointestinal tract for its original approved indications, such as esophageal cancer or Barrett's esophagus, its value in biliary lesions appears to be well substantiated. In this article, we will review its current application in the upper gastrointestinal tract.