Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research
Open Access

Abstract

Patients more Likely to Prefer Surgery to Novel Photodynamic Therapy

Zoe L Dixon, Anthony J Dixon, Stuart J Anderson, Mary P Dixon, Howard K Steinman and John B Dixon

Objective: To compare preferences with patients who have undergone both facial skin cancer surgery and photodynamic therapy (PDT).
Design: A survey of patients who had undergone both PDT and surgery to their face.
Setting: Referral skin cancer centre in Australia
Protocol: 34 patients had undergone both PDT and surgery to their face. They were asked which they would choose next time if given both options and why.
Main outcome measure(s): Patient preference of the two treatments
Results: Of the 34 PDT patients, 17 preferred surgery if future treatment was needed, whilst 6 preferred PDT, (p<0.01). Prolonged post procedural pain was the most frequent explanation provided for preferring surgery.
Discussion and conclusions: Clinicians should not assume that surgery is less favoured by patients over alternate interventions. Prolonged pain following PDT was a frequent reason not to prefer future PDT treatments.